Until the End
by shikamaru-please
Summary: KakashixOC ; Jonin ninja Kaeda Yoshino will protect her squad until the end, so when tragedy strikes, she will stop at nothing to save her students... even if it means leaving her best friend.
1. One: Friendship

Author's Note: OH. MY. GOSH.  
I haven't been on this site in FOREVER. I'm so sorry. College is more overwhelming than I thought it would be. :(  
As you can see... this isn't a GaaraxOC story. As I was writing it, I figured that it was kind of difficult to write, so I scrapped it and began writing a Kakashi story. :)  
Hopefully you guys like it! I promise I'll try to make more time for writing! :D  
If you would be so kind as to review, that would just make me the happiest I've been since I last read all your amazing reviews on _Shadow Possession of the Heart!_

**Chapter One: Friendship**

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

"Ugh…"

_BEEP! BEE-THUD._

_Whoosh, creeeakk… pat, pat._

"Hmm… ARRGH,"

_Snap, crack, pop._

"Ahh…"

"Morning, sleepyhead."

"AHH!"

Startled by the unsuspected greeting, I reached quickly to grab my blanket from the floor to hide myself from the mysterious intruder. I nearly broke my neck with the speed that I averted my gaze to the window on my right. Once my heart stopped racing from the initial shock, however, I rolled my eyes. Perched on the windowsill with a book in his hand and a glazed look in his visible black eye was Kakashi Hatake. He was my best friend in Konoha, yet he was unwelcome in my house before sunrise, nonetheless. Shuffling toward him, I reached my hand out to smack him on the back of the head. "You scared me!"

"Oh, come on," he laughed as he snapped his book shut and rested his arms on his knees, "I used to do this all the time."

"Keyword: _USED _to."

"Technically, that was two words…"

I ignored his smartass comment and turned on my heel to search for something to wear, rolling my eyes again as I heard Kakashi's muffled laughter. The floors creaked as he slid off the ledge to land inside the room, and the gentle tapping of his shoes signaled that he was advancing inside. I opened the doors to my closet and began sliding the hangers back and forth as I searched its contents, all the while keeping my blanket wrapped around my body. Picking out a plum-colored long sleeve shirt and faded charcoal capris, I closed the closet doors and tossed the articles on my bed.

Kakashi stood at the foot of my bed, his hands shoved into his pockets and his right leg crossed nonchalantly over his left. I simply glared at him until he finally spoke, "Yes?"

"I need to get changed."

"Oh,"

He didn't move, nor did it seem like he had even considered moving, so I groaned and rolled my eyes at him. "Kakashi, turn around."

"But Kae, why?"

"You know damn well why!" My lip curled in annoyance.

"Alright, alright," he laughed, holding his hands up in defeat, "I'm going." He spun around and leaned his elbows against the windowsill to look out at the village. Afraid that Kakashi might turn back prematurely, I hurriedly dropped the blanket to the floor so that I could change. A shiver ran through my body when the cool air hit my exposed skin. I had only worn a t-shirt to bed that night, and when I realized that Kakashi must have seen me when I woke, I blushed. Trying to shake the thought out of my head, I quickly stepped into my shorts before replacing my nightshirt with the new purple one. "Alright," I sighed, "I'm done."

"I know," he calmly replied.

I raised my eyebrows in confusion. When he turned around, I noticed that he had pulled his headband upward to expose his gleaming red Sharingan eye, and, despite the mask that covered the bottom half of his face, I could tell that a smirk was playing on his lips. A nervous jolt shot through my heart, causing it to begin beating rapidly, and I gasped. "Don't tell me that thing lets you see what's behind you…"

When he chuckled and returned the black fabric to its usual place, concealing the Sharingan, I knew that he had only played a little joke on me. Quickly, while laughing at my expense preoccupied him, I wound my fist back to land a powerful punch to his left shoulder. "You jerk! You know that I've never understood that stupid eye of yours!"

While attempting to soothe the pain in his arm by rubbing the injured area, he replied, "That's exactly why it's an easy way to mess with you."

"Ugh," I grumbled while I rolled my eyes at him.

"I'll explain it to you again," he offered.

"Please," I sighed, rubbing my temples. _This is going to be a long day…_

"The Sharingan allows the user enhanced clarity of perception. For example, I can tell the difference between a clone and an actual person. Because of this enhanced perception, I can read lip movements or mimic another person's actions. The Sharingan also allows me to memorize any sort of jutsu or technique that I witness. Pretty cool, huh?"

"So you don't have x-ray vision, or anything like that?"

"No, I don't," he paused for a moment before continuing in a wistful tone, "if only I had the Byakugan…"

"Kakashi!" Despite my lack of clarity regarding the Sharingan, I _knew_ what the Byakugan was. Slowly I was becoming calloused to his perverted antics, and while slapping him on the arm I actually found myself laughing. "Those books that you've been reading really have turned you into a dirty old man."

"Hey," he said, placing his hand over his heart melodramatically, "I'm not _that _old."

Laughing, I turned around to approach my dresser and open the top drawer. "Perverted, nonetheless." I grasped the black fabric of my own ninja headband and pulled it out of the drawer before closing it. Before tying it around my forehead, I pulled my long blonde hair into a high ponytail that flowed down to the small of my back. After stealing into the bathroom to brush my teeth, I quickly lined my chocolate brown eyes with black liner and slid my feet into my black sandals before facing Kakashi. "Ready?"

"In case you forgot, I've been waiting for you this whole time."

I playfully flicked his forehead with my index finger before smiling at him. "Then let's go."

In a mutual, unspoken agreement, Kakashi and I decided that simply using the front door to exit my apartment was too boring, so instead we each climbed out of my bedroom window and used the rooftops and awnings to gracefully lower ourselves to the ground. Once we had safely landed, earning a couple of strange looks from random passers-by, we navigated through the streets of Konoha side-by-side.

"So," I sighed, gazing off into the distance at the rising sun, "what are your plans for Squad Seven today?"

"Lady Hokage has assigned us a mission in the Land of Waves; I'm meeting Naruto and Sakura at the gate so we can leave."

"What type of mission?"

"B-Rank."

"Agh," I grumbled, "I'd kill to go on a B-Ranked mission right about now. All these D-Ranked missions are driving me crazy." I was the leader of Squad Thirteen, a group of Genin ninja who were straight out of the Academy. Since they had so little experience, Lady Hokage will only allow them to complete low-priority missions, such as rescuing a missing cat or weeding the community gardens.

Kakashi laughed. "Ah, I remember those days."

"You're lucky you have Chunin to work with. At least they know what they're doing."

"Technically," Kakashi interjected, "Naruto is still a Genin."

"Come on," I scoffed, "the kid trained under Master Jiraiya, he perfected the Rasengan in less than a week, and he's got the Nine Tailed Fox sealed inside of him, granting him unreal amounts of chakra. He may be a Genin on paper, but he's an exceptional shinobi, nevertheless."

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders. "I guess you're right. He is something else."

We continued along the rocky path that stretched all the way across the village until I could see figures with pink and blonde hair waiting at the gate. _Sakura and Naruto…_

"Well," I sighed, "I'll leave you to your mission. I'm headed to the training field for a fun-filled day of playing drill-sergeant." I forced a smile onto my lips.

Kakashi coaxed me into his arms for a friendly hug, and I happily obliged. The familiar musky scent of his Jonin uniform floated into my nose, morphing my fake smile into a real one. "I'll see you later," he said before we had separated.

I watched him walk toward the gate, laughing when he pulled Makeout Paradise from the holster strapped to his leg and resumed his reading. Turning on my heel, I headed down a side street to meet my squad at the training field.


	2. Two: Training

Author's Note: Hello, everyone! :)  
I'm not sure when I'll be able to post the next chapter, due to bad internet where I live during the week. I'm aiming for Friday.  
Hopefully that will give me time to get ahead on this story, though.  
Anyway, I hope you enjoy chapter two! You get to meet Kaeda's Genin students! :D haha.  
Reviews would be lovely. :)

**Two: Training**

"Alright, you three, I want ten laps around the training field in no less than ten minutes. Let's go!"

The three Genin ninja who stood before me groaned in annoyance at my request before turning to fulfill it. I climbed to the top of a wooden training log and took a seat, nonchalantly crossing my ankles and laying my hands in my lap. The morning sun was peeking out over the treetops in the distance, creating in the sky a fantastic swirl of pastel pinks and oranges. The crisp air chilled my lungs when I breathed it in, causing me to shiver, and for a moment I contemplated joining the team in their warm up.

I chuckled. _Not a chance._

My three Genin were rounding the corner to complete the first lap. I wasn't surprised to see Toshiro Isami at the front. He was the Sasuke Uchiha or the Neji Hyuga of Squad Thirteen. A genius, a natural talent, and a weilder of the Isami clan's kekkei genkai: the Kiseigan. I had yet to see it in action, but from what I understood, it is a blood line trait that, when activated, allows tiny receptors all throughout the user's body to absorb chakra from others around him. What I found truly incredible about the kekkei genkai was that the user can also convert the energy of his surroundings (such as a gust of wind, or the flow of water) into pure chakra that he can absorb into his body. That way, he can replenish his chakra without having to steal from his comrades. When I learned of his incredible trait, part of me really wanted to fight this kid and make him use up all of his chakra, just so I could see him replenish it.

But, sadly, another part of me knew that it would be wrong to do so.

… _Damned conscience._

Not too far behind Toshiro was Hana Sugimoto, and, again, I wasn't surprised. Although she hid behind a quiet exterior, I knew that this girl was tough. No matter what assignment or training exercise I threw at her, Hana never once complained. Through blood, sweat, and tears, she persevered, continuously pushing herself to become an even better shinobi than she was the previous day. Although she had hardly said a word since we first met, I could tell that she was similar to myself in many ways. Although I try not to let that influence my picking favorites, sometimes I just can't help it.

Dragging behind the others was Nikko Takeda. I wouldn't necessarily call him unmotivated, but the kid is difficult to train. Always complaining and dragging his feet, Nikko is always the last to finish any exercise that I assign. His problem is that he thinks that he doesn't need to train. He truly believes that, in his current condition, he could set out on an S-Ranked mission and come back without so much as a scratch on his freckled face. The first time I had actually seen Nikko genuinely happy was when Lady Hokage assigned Squad Thirteen its first mission, but that quickly faded when he learned that instead of ridding the streets of criminals or enemies, he would be ridding the streets of litter. I must say, though, that despite his inability to focus on anything other than disagreeing with my training methods, the kid is pretty entertaining.

When my Genin had finished their laps, I hopped down from my seat to approach them. A satisfied smile crept onto my face upon hearing their ragged breaths. "Now then," I began, flipping open my weapon's holster and pulling out a few shuriken, "it's time for some agility training."

Hana's face expressed shock as she eyed the weapons clutched in my hand.

"What's the matter?" I asked her.

Her cheeks reddened at my inquiry. Clearing her throat nervously, she replied in a soft voice, "You're… going to use _real _shuriken?"

I smirked. "That's right. You're ninja now. It's time we stopped messing around. In this training exercise, any failure will injure you. That way, not only will you learn quicker from your mistakes, but you'll also become acquainted with the real pain that battles can cause your body. Either you fight through the pain, or you suffer the consequences."

With a nod, Hana instantaneously replaced her terrified expression with that of confidence and eagerness. Her eyes gleamed like emeralds at the possibility of becoming a stronger kunoichi

"Alright, we'll go one at a time. I'll start by throwing the shuriken slowly and less frequently, but as you progress through the exercise, I'll pick up the speed. Got it?"

My Genin nodded, and I grinned. "Good. Hana, you're up first."

Her eyes widened at the sound of her name, but she quickly blinked her fear away and replied, "Yes, Sensei."

"Stand over there and wait for me to start the exercise." I pointed my index finger toward a spot about fifty feet away and directly in front of me. Hana sprinted to her position and took a ready stance.

"Ready," I said, watching as Hana lowered herself in her stance, anticipating my first move, "Begin!"

I wasted no time in throwing the first shuriken, and Hana immediately jumped out of the way. _She's quick, _I thought to myself. I threw the next shuriken, and again, she dodged it swiftly and skillfully. She continued to weave in and out of the approaching weapons' projectiles without fault, and I grew increasingly more impressed with her as I observed her. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and her eyes glared with intense concentration. When I picked up the speed even more, however, she lost her balance as she attempted to dodge too many weapons at once. One of the blades sliced her left shoulder, causing blood to trickle slowly out of the wound. She winced in pain, losing concentration for a mere moment, before performing a back flip to avoid another pair of shuriken that whizzed in her direction. Throughout the rest of the exercise, she managed to remain untouched.

"Very good," I complimented her. Reaching into the holster on my right leg, I pulled out a roll of bandages and walked toward Hana, who had fallen to her knees, panting and holding her bloody shoulder. I kneeled beside her and proceeded to wrap the bandages around her injury. "You did exactly what I wanted you to do."

"But sensei," she gasped, "I… I got hit."

"Yes," I nodded, flashing her a reassuring smile, "But you didn't give up. You stuck it out to the very end."

Hana's eyes traveled upward to meet my gaze, and she allowed the small smile to form on her lips. "Thank you, sensei."

When I finished dressing Hana's wounds, I collected the shuriken that I had thrown and returned to my post. "Nikko,"

"Hm?" The boy's golden brown eyes did not gleam with excitement as Hana's had, but rather drooped with indifference. "Oh, my turn." Shoving his hands into the pockets of his shorts, he trudged to the starting point and awaited my signal.

"Begin!" The four-bladed weapon flew hurriedly from my hand, slicing the air in its path. Nikko easily dodged it, and as he did so, a smug smirk appeared on his face. _Overconfident, as usual, _I rolled my eyes. I continued to throw the weapons, gradually picking up the pace as time passed, and it wasn't long before Nikko's swelled pride had caused him to underestimate my training methods. Two shuriken cut him after he misread their distances, one to his left bicep and the other to his right shin. Stunned by the pain, his injured leg gave out, causing him to fall to the ground. As he did so, another shuriken grazed his right cheek. I contemplated simply ending the exercise right then and there, but he somehow managed to escape another swarm of approaching weapons by executing a dive-somersault and immediately lifting himself to his feet. His glared in annoyance as he finished the exercise halfheartedly, earning another wound to his left forearm at the very end.

When I ceased throwing the shuriken at him, Nikko plopped down into a seated position and crossed his arms over his chest angrily. Sighing exasperatedly, I relocated the bandages and proceeded to dress his many wounds. "Nikko," I started.

"I just got unlucky that time, Kaeda Sensei," Nikko interjected, "that's all. I swear!"

I managed to stifle a laugh, pulling the bandages on his left arm tight. "It has nothing to do with luck," I said seriously, causing Nikko's brow to furrow, "Your overconfidence is your worst enemy right now. It floods your mind with unreasonable expectations of yourself, causing you to become sulky and irritated when things don't go your way."

Nikko turned his head away from me with a frustrated huff.

"Just listen, for once," I commanded as I started wrapping his leg injury, "I'm your sensei, a Jonin ninja. I'm here to help you become the best shinobi that you can be. You need to start trusting that the training that I put you through is for your benefit, and I expect that you work hard and see each challenge through to the very end."

Nikko remained silent. His arms were still crossed stubbornly over his chest, though I noticed his eyes flicker in my direction, indicating that he was indeed listening.

"Don't blame any failures on being 'unlucky,' for making excuses will never make you stronger. Instead, you should learn from your mistakes and correct them the next time you're given the opportunity to."

I cleaned and dressed the small wound on his face as I finished my sentence. Knowing full well that Nikko wasn't going to outwardly accept my advice (oh no, he was _way _too stubborn for that), I simply stored the bandages back into my holster and made my way back to my post, collecting my shuriken along the way. I parted my lips to call on the third student, but I merely grinned when I turned around to find that Toshiro was already standing where the others had stood before him. His knees were bent slightly and his ocean eyes focused intently on the shuriken I held in my hands.

"Always one step ahead," I remarked.

"I'm ready when you are, Sensei."

"Ready," I took one shuriken in my right hand, the metal blades scraping against the ones in my left as they separated, "begin!"

Toshiro dodged the shuriken almost immediately after I threw it, and he evaded the next few just as easily. I hastened more rapidly than I had with both Hana and Nikko, simply because Toshiro's natural talents required more of a challenge to be fully stimulated. He flipped and weaved and hurdled, managing to remain unscathed by the many weapons that pursued him. His movements were so fast that he became nothing but a blur to me. _Being able to see and react to all of these shuriken so quickly… and at such a young age… he really is incredible._

The exercise ended in only a few minutes, and simply because I had used up my entire supply of weapons. Toshiro hadn't a single scratch on him. "How was that, Kaeda Sensei?"

I couldn't help but grin as I shook my head in disbelief. "Remarkable, as always, Toshiro. I only wish I brought more weapons along with me."

The boy smiled graciously. "Thank you, Sensei."


	3. Three: Dinner and a Starlit Sky

Author's Note: I'm finally home from college. -.-  
Which means that I can _finally _post chapter three! :D  
I'm sorry for the wait, but I hope you enjoy anyway!  
Thank you to BlackRose723 and Accesorized for the reviews! They made me smile. :D  
Anyway, enjoy this chapter, and look out for chapter four, which I will be posting before I go back up to school!

**Three: Dinner and a Starlit Sky**

After an extremely long and tiresome taijutsu training session, I dismissed my students for the day and began heading back home. Entering the village gates, my stomach began to rumble and ache. The sun's low position in the sky indicated that it was indeed time for dinner. Remembering that I had been out of groceries for a while now (I absolutely despised grocery shopping), I contemplated simply stopping by the Barbeque restaurant on my way home, but I decided against it considering that I had eaten out for every meal in the past week. Sighing in defeat, I trudged to the produce shop in the market square, dragging my feet the entire way.

When I entered the store, I was relieved to see that it wasn't terribly busy. I quickly picked out an assortment of fruits and vegetables, a loaf of bread, some milk, cheese, meat, and rice, and I placed them on the front counter for the merchant. After bagging my goods, the middle-aged man turned to me and gave me my total with a smile. I paid the grocer and scooped the two paper bags in my arms, thanking him as I hurriedly exited the shop.

I breathed a sigh of relief upon completion of that tedious chore, nearly sprinting back to my home with eagerness. Luckily, I didn't live too far from the market, and I was home in less than a minute. Kicking my shoes off at the door, I headed straight for the kitchen to drop the paper bags on the counter. I pulled loose the fabric of my Konoha headband and placed it next to the groceries, letting out a sigh of relief as I did so.

I decided on stir-fry for dinner, so I pulled out some rice, chicken, and various vegetables from the grocery bags. I quickly filled the rice cooker with water and a pack of rice, and as I pulled a kitchen knife from the silverware drawer, I heard the door of my apartment creaking as it was slowly pushed open. I didn't even have to look before I knew who it was.

"Just in time!" I shouted as I began to cut the chicken into little bits.

"In time for what?" Kakashi inquired as he entered the kitchen. I turned to face him, and I laughed when I saw that his glazed eye looked even more tired and bored than it normally did. He was probably just tired from the mission. He perked up, however, once he saw that I was cooking. "Hey, what's for dinner?"

"Stir-fry," I answered, "Now make yourself useful and chop the veggies."

"Damn woman, putting me to work," he grumbled as he plodded into the room.

I handed him a knife and pushed the pile of carrots, onions, and broccoli that I had waiting on the counter. He sighed before grabbing a carrot and beginning to chop. I grinned at my own accomplishment.

"How was the mission?" I asked him after a moment.

"Oh, nothing special, really," he simply answered.

"Then why do you look even worse than you normally do?" I smirked.

"Excuse me," he glared, "but have you ever been on a team with Naruto?"

I scoffed, pushing the pile of chopped up chicken bits to the side and grabbing a hand towel to wipe the juice from my fingers.

"Naruto nearly attacked a child when he mistakenly thought he was calling him names. Then, he challenged an elderly woman to a fight after she challenged his intelligence. I had to hold him back while Sakura smoothed over the situation with the townspeople, and, let me tell you, repeatedly taking an elbow to the face by that kid can put you in a bad mood."

Attempting to hide the fit of laughter that threatened to burst from my lips, I ruffled my friend's spiky grey hair and put on a sympathetic expression. "Aw, poor Kakashi."

"It really hurt," he pouted.

"I'm sure it did," I replied, turning my back to pull the frying pan from the cupboard by the stove. I let a few giggles slip as I said in a hushed voice, "What a baby."

A chunk of carrot promptly hit me in the back of the head. "I heard that!" Kakashi shouted.

Placing the frying pan on the counter, I shut the cupboard and spun on my heel to glare at Kakashi. I held the carrot in front of his right eye. "This one's going in your helping."

Kakashi sneered. "It was on the floor for two seconds."

"You obviously don't realize that I haven't cleaned in weeks."

He paused for a moment before making a face. "You're gross."

"Bite me."

"When and where?"

"Oh, just chop the veggies, Princess!"

"Yes, Sir!"

When I finished cooking the stir-fry, Kakashi and I took our plates and headed upstairs to sit and eat on the balcony. The sky was darker now, the stars just beginning to emerge, and a cool breeze chilled the air. We both sat on a small bench and looked out at the quiet village as we ate.

Kakashi sighed as he chewed his first bite. "Remind me again why you don't cook more often?"

"Because then I'd have to worry about _you _hanging around all the time."

"Ouch," Kakashi breathed as he took another bite.

"Oh, you know I'm just kidding," I told him as I playfully nudged his arm.

We finished eating our dinner in a peaceful silence. Kakashi leaned back in his seat, placed his hands behind his head, and let his eyes fall close as he sighed happily. "That was delicious, Kae."

I turned to look at him and smiled. "Thanks."

The starlight outlined his profile in a bright white light that glowed brilliantly against the darkness; from the metal plate on his headband, down to the curve of his nose and the slight pucker of his lips from underneath his mask, and then continuing down the length of his body. The gentle rise and fall of his chest suggested that his conscience was floating somewhere in between sleep and a subconscious daze. I carefully snaked my hand behind his head to pull loose the fabric of his headband, deciding that would be more comfortable. Holding the headband in my hands, I ran the pad of my thumb across the metal, feeling all the scratches and dents received from battles passed. He was always such a talented ninja; I couldn't help but be a little jealous of him.

"Thanks, that feels better," Kakashi said in a low, rough voice.

I smiled. "I thought it might."

He slowly turned his head to face me, and his Sharingan eye and the scar caused by its transplant were now fully visible. For some unknown reason, my hand slowly lifted to gently touch the scar with my fingertips. I bit my lip as I felt the coarse, unhealed skin.

"It's probably not all that attractive, huh?" Kakashi asked in a half-whisper, his eyes focused on me.

Gasping quietly, I jerked my hand away from his face and averted my gaze to my lap. I could feel my cheeks beginning to burn, and I became thankful for the nighttime darkness. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have—"

Kakashi chuckled, interrupting my apology. "Don't worry about it. It's fine, really."

Lifting my eyes to the starlit sky, I noticed that I was growing sleepy. I slumped in my seat and rested the base of my head on the back of the bench, lacing my fingers together and placing my hands comfortably on my stomach. My eyelids grew heavier, and soon, I couldn't help but let them fall close. I would just rest my eyes for a moment, nothing more…

_Kaeda…_

_Kaeda…_

"Kaeda?"

I felt a nudge on my right arm, so I slowly lifted my eyelids to gaze back at Kakashi. "Hmm?" I breathed, yawning quietly.

"You fell asleep," Kakashi grinned, letting a small laugh escape his masked lips.

"Shit," I whispered, wiping my eyes and sitting up in my seat, "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," he replied, standing up and stretching his back and arms, "I think I'm just going to head home for the night."

I followed Kakashi's lead and stood up as well. His headband, which I apparently still possessed, slid off my lap and landed on the wooden deck, the metal plate clanking loudly and interrupting the quiet night. I cringed at the sound. "Sorry," I apologized again, "I didn't realize I still had—"

"Kae," Kakashi interjected, placing a hand on my shoulder and looking me in the eyes, "you apologize too much."

"Right," I agreed, scratching the back of my neck nervously, "Sorr—"

Kakashi raised his eyebrows at me.

"I mean… pick up your headband, lazy-ass!"

Entertained by my command, he chuckled loudly and did exactly as I said. He swiftly tied the fabric around his head, concealing the Sharingan once more. "I guess I'll be going now," he sighed, "Need any help getting to bed?"

"Perv," I rolled my eyes.

Kakashi's visible eye displayed an amused smile as he reached forward to wrap his arms around my middle. I returned the gesture, and for a split second, I didn't want him to leave. But soon enough, Kakashi freed himself from my grasp and before I could even protest, he was leaping from rooftop to rooftop back to his own apartment. After watching him until he was no longer in sight, I slipped back into my apartment and headed straight for bed.


	4. Four: The First Real Mission

Author's Note: Told you I'd get another chapter up! :)  
I hope you guys enjoyed chapter three! Some very, _very _slight hints of fluff. Haha. Thanks again BlackRose 723 for the review!  
The action begins in chapter four! And I hope you all enjoy. :)  
Reviews would be _amazing. _ :D

**Four: The First Real Mission**

The next morning, I awoke before my alarm had sounded. I had slept like a log; no dreams, no waking up, hell, I didn't even think I had _moved. _After wiping the sleep from my eyes, I sat up in my bed and stretched my arms over my head, a relieved sigh escaping my lips as I hit the spot. My eyes darted over to the window, half-expecting Kakashi to be perched there, reading his pervy book just like yesterday. He wasn't, however, so I slid off my bed and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower.

I nearly fell back to sleep as the hot water trickled over my body and engulfed me in its pleasant warmth. Before I could, however, I squirted some shampoo into the palm of my hand and gently massaged it into my long hair. After a minute of doing so, I rinsed, combing my fingers through my hair as I did so. When my hair was clean, I lathered my body with soap, rinsed, and proceeded to shut the water off. The cool air chilled my skin as I stepped out of the shower, so I quickly grabbed a towel off the rack and began to dry myself off.

After running a comb through my hair to loosen any knots or tangles, I wrapped the towel around my body and tiptoed back to my bedroom to find something to wear. I twisted the doorknob, pulled the door open, and headed straight for my closet. I shivered as the breeze from my opened window danced across my exposed skin. As I sifted through the articles of clothing, my eyes widened as I had a sudden realization.

I had never opened my window this morning.

Afraid of what I would find if I turned around, I did so slowly, praying that I had for some reason left my window open last night and that I had no reason to worry. My eyes shifted to examine the room, and I nearly screamed when I saw Kakashi sitting wide-eyed on the edge of my bed.

"Kakashi!" I yelled, "What the _hell _do you think you're doing?"

"Enjoying the view?" Kakashi shrugged, his cheeks burning a light pinkish color.

"Well don't just stand there! GET OUT!"

"Come on, it's not like you're naked."

I was blushing furiously. Moving behind my dresser, I attempted to cover everything that my towel did not, which was a lot more than I would have liked.

"Kakashi, please," I pleaded, trying to maintain a tough exterior while on the inside I was so embarrassed that I was near tears.

"Alright, alright," he held his hands up in defeat, "I'll be out on the balcony." And with that said, he spun on his heel, shoved his hands in his pockets, and nonchalantly trudged out of the room.

I quickly picked out something to wear before sprinting back into the bathroom and slamming the door shut. Dropping my clothes on the countertop, I angrily ripped off my towel and threw it to the floor. My embarrassment quickly faded and all that remained was irritation. My fingers gripped the countertop, and my narrowed eyes glared back at my own reflection in the mirror. All my imperfections magnified: the scars, the bruises, and the disfigurations. I lifted my hand to trace the long scar that ran from my chest, snaked around my middle, and ended just past my left hip. As I did so, my tensed muscles relaxed, and my eyes fell to the floor.

Unable to bear the sight any longer, I grabbed the black pants from the countertop and hurriedly stepped into them. I then slipped on a sports bra, followed by a grey t-shirt and my Jonin vest. I put my still wet hair in a high ponytail before brushing my teeth and applying a bit of eyeliner and mascara, not even bothering to look in the mirror before exiting the bathroom.

I tied my headband around my forehead as I plodded to the balcony to face Kakashi and the awkward situation. I approached silently, placing my elbows on the railing and leaning against it just as Kakashi did, bracing for whatever ridicule or smart remark was about to come.

"So," Kakashi started, his gaze still focused on the village, "what's on the agenda for Squad Thirteen today?"

Surprised by the question, I stupidly asked, "Huh?"

"Plans for Squad Thirteen today," Kakashi repeated, turning his head slightly to look at me, "Let me hear 'em."

"Oh, right," I said with a nervous laugh, "Well, first thing on the agenda is to head to Mission Reception to figure out if we're picking up litter, finding a stupid lost cat, or cleaning bird shit off of peoples' windows."

Kakashi laughed.

"We'll complete the task in about an hour or two, then I'll probably use the remainder of the day to train my Genin. Should be home around five or six."

"Sounds eventful."

"Oh, shut up," I laughed, lightly shoving his arm, "What about Squad Seven?"

"Probably not a whole lot. I'm heading over to the Fifth Hokage's office to submit the report from our last mission, and then I'm not sure. It's might just be a lazy day for me."

"Lucky."

Kakashi looked at the rising sun and gave a small sigh. "I should get going," he decided.

"Me too," I agreed.

"Want to walk with me to the Hokage's office?"

I shook my head. "I would, but I have to meet my Genin first."

"Alright then," Kakashi said as he leapt onto the railing. He balanced there for a second before turning to me and saying goodbye.

I hurdled the railing and landed gracefully after the two-story drop, a cloud of dust forming at my feet. After wiping the dust from my pants, I shoved my hands into my pockets and began heading to Ichiraku Ramen, which was where I had set for the team to meet. The morning air felt crisp against my skin, causing tiny goose bumps to form on my arms. I ignored the cold and turned down a side street. Ichiraku Ramen was in sight, and I could see Toshiro and Hana waiting for my arrival, but Nikko was nowhere to be found. Not surprised, I rolled my eyes and greeted my students.

"Oh, h-hey, Sensei," Hana smiled shyly. Toshiro greeted me with a wave.

"Where's Nikko?" I immediately asked.

Neither of them could answer. I sighed in annoyance and leaned against the side of the building, peering down both ends of the street.

"What are we doing today, Kaeda Sensei?" Toshiro asked, adjusting his forehead protector with his thumb and index finger.

"Well, once Nikko gets here, we're heading to Mission Reception to see what Lady Hokage has for us today," I explained. As I glanced to the right, I noticed a head of messy red hair approaching nonchalantly, with his arms crossed over his chest and his gazed focused on the ground. "Nikko!" I shouted to him. His bored eyes lifted to stare back at me. "One hundred pushups before training tomorrow for being late."

In a split second, his expression changed from bored to irritated. "That's not fair!" He shouted back at me.

"What, don't think you can handle it?" I knew that a challenge might spur his enthusiasm.

"Of _course _I can!" He countered, pointing his finger at me accusingly, "Just wait until tomorrow. You'll see just how strong I really am!"

"I'm sure I will," I laughed under my breath. I ignored Nikko's angry grunts and began walking in the direction of the Hokage building. "Follow me," I ordered the three Genin.

Ichiraku Ramen wasn't far from the Hokage's office. We had arrived in a matter of minutes. Ascending the stairs, I listened as my students debated over what type of mission they would be going on today. Nikko was just as optimistic about his own skills as ever, saying that no matter what type of mission they received, it wouldn't be tough enough to challenge him. I rolled my eyes and smiled; he really was an amusing kid.

When we reached the Hokage's office, I knocked on the door and awaited her orders. "Come in," I heard Lady Tsunade say from inside. I did as I was told, pushing the door open and walking inside. My Genin followed closely on my heels.

"Good morning, Lady Hokage," I greeted politely.

"Squad Thirteen," She immediately began, her face as stern as it always was, "I have an important mission for you today."

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Nikko perk up. He was obviously expecting more cleaning duty, and, to be honest, so was I.

"I know you're only Genin," she continued, "but I've already sent all available teams on other missions. One of our merchants needs to be escorted to Tanzaku Town. I know it's not that far, but lately there have been reports of bandits ambushing travelers in the forest and stealing their goods."

"Bandits?" Hana asked, a hint of worry in her voice, "Are we really ready for that?"

Lady Hokage faced Hana with a smile. "Don't worry," she said reassuringly, "I wouldn't have assigned you this mission if I thought you were going to fail."

"Alright!" Nikko cheered, throwing his hands in the air victoriously.

"Kaeda," Lady Tsunade said to me, "if you think I should have any reason to doubt the abilities of your team, speak now."

I grinned confidently back at her. "Lady Hokage, I believe you have made an excellent decision. We won't let you down."

"Good," she replied, "then I'll introduce you to Merchant Makoto Akiyama."

A middle-aged man stepped into the room from behind another door. His chestnut brown hair was receding, and his hazel eyes wrinkled as he smiled gratefully back at us. He carried on his back a portable stand that probably held inside all the goods that he hoped to sell during his stay in Tanzaku Town. "Thank you for doing this," the man said.

"No problem!" Nikko immediately answered, "You'll be safe with us!"


	5. Five: Trouble

Author's Note: So, thankfully I get internet at school. And thankfully I remembered to bring my laptop to school today! :D  
So yeah, I just got out of my first class, now I'm trying desperately to warm up because it's freezing outside. My fingers don't want to type hahaha.  
I hope you all enjoy this installment of _Until the End_!  
Special thanks to BlackRose723, Ninja Trio's Best, and Angel42497 for reviewing! You all made me super happy! :D  
Reviews for this chapter would also be swell. Whenever I read your reviews, it just makes me want to write even more! Woo! Haha.

**Five: Trouble**

I led the group out of the Hokage building and meandered through the streets until we had exited the village gates. It was apparent by their expressions that my Genin were excited for their first real mission. Before we could enter the forest, I turned to the group and gave them each a serious look. "Listen up," I said to them, gaining their attention immediately, "this is your first _real _mission. You may encounter bandits, like Lady Tsunade said, or you may not. Either way, I want you all to remain focused. This goes beyond anything you've ever done before, for you are now in charge of another man's safety."

Nikko's excited grin never left his face. Hana and Toshiro, on the other hand, seemed to truly grasp what I was explaining to them, and they continued to listen with a solemn expression.

"The group will travel in the following formation: Toshiro, up front. Behind him, Hana and Nikko will stand guard on either side of Mr. Akiyama. I will watch over from the back, that way, if anything comes up from behind us, I will be able to counter it without anyone else getting hurt. Does everyone understand?"

The Genin and the merchant nodded their heads and proceeded to situate themselves in the manner I had described. "Alright," I sighed, "Is everyone properly equipped? You all have your kunai and shuriken, correct?"

"Yes, Sensei!" the three Genin responded in unison.

"Then it looks like we're ready to go."

Toshiro led the group down a dirt path that wound through the millions of trees in the forest. It would take nearly an hour of walking to reach Tanzaku town. Examining the group, I watched as Toshiro and Hana searched the surroundings for any enemies, and I smiled at their dedication to the mission. When I turned to look at Nikko, I was actually surprised to see that he, too, was scouting the area. Raising my eyebrows, I silently praised myself for finally getting through to him.

_Ah, who am I kidding, _I thought to myself, _he wasn't listening to me. He's just excited about finally leaving the village._

I shrugged the thought away. At this point, I was just glad that I wouldn't have to worry about Nikko falling behind or slacking off. Shoving my hands in my pockets, I lifted my gaze the treetops, squinting my eyes as rays of sunlight peeked through the leaves and shone in my face. Other than the sounds of twigs and leaves crunching beneath our feet as we walked, the forest was quiet and peaceful.

"So, Mr. Akiyama," Hana said in a soft voice as she fidgeted nervously with the hem of her shirt, "what kinds of things do you sell?"

The old man reached back into his pack, searching its contents, before pulling out something that was wrapped in a thick towel. He unwrapped the cover to reveal a beautiful ceramic bowl. "My wife hand-crafts bowls, plates, and cups out of clay and porcelain, and I paint and glaze them." I raised my eyebrows as I studied the work of art. It was perfectly crafted, and the swirls of various greens, oranges, and browns rendered me completely speechless as I tried to imagine how on earth he could have painted something so incredible.

"Wow," Hana gasped as she gazed with wide eyes, "it's beautiful."

"Thank you!" The man chuckled as he returned the bowl back to his bag.

"It really is amazing," Toshiro agreed with a smile.

"Eh, it's not that great," Nikko huffed, crossing his arms stubbornly over his chest.

Shocked by such a rude comment, I quickly grabbed my bratty student by the ear and yanked him backwards, earning a loud "Ow!" from Nikko. Both Hana and Toshiro glanced at Nikko with disbelief in their eyes.

Anger seethed from between my clenched teeth. "How dare you act so disrespectfully to a client? Apologize to this man at once!" My dark, glaring eyes shot daggers at the boy.

Nikko immediately did as he was told, his body shivering in fear as I shoved him back into his position. "I'm s-sorry, Mr. Akiyama!"

"Mr. Akiyama," I said apologetically, "I hope you can forgive Nikko for his impertinence."

To my great relief, Mr. Akiyama chuckled heartily and replied, "Oh, don't worry about the boy. I used to be quite the troublemaker as well, in my day."

As we neared closer to Tanzaku Town, a strange feeling filled my body. Peering to the left, right, back, and front, I quickly examined our surroundings. As I looked more closely, my eyes widened when I noticed a slight gleam of thread extending from one tree to another. When my eyes traveled to the other end of the string, I noticed a paper bomb just barely noticeable from beneath a small bush. Nikko was about to step right into the trap, so I quickly sprinted toward him and pushed him out of the way. He landed with a loud 'thud.'

"Hey!" Nikko shouted, dusting off his khaki shorts, "Sensei, what was that for?"

"You almost walked right into a tripwire," I explained, pointing to the paper bomb.

Nikko's eyes widened as they fell upon the explosive, and for a moment I thought I saw his lip quivering in fear. He quickly blinked the terror from his eyes and narrowed them angrily. "I knew it was there! I was just going to dodge it, but you interrupted me!"

Before Nikko could lift himself from the ground, a series of about ten kunai descended from the sky and lodged their blades into the dirt surrounding us. Attached on the end of each kunai was a paper bomb. Knowing that we wouldn't have been able to escape in time, I glanced back at the frightened group and shouted, "Everyone stand by me! Hurry!"

The shuffling of their feet indicated that they had done as I instructed. I proceeded to form a series of hand seals before finally intertwining my fingers together to form the 'Mi' sign. I could feel my chakra coursing through my body, and when everything was set, I cried out, "Earth Style: Earth Barrier Jutsu!"

Earth chakra poured from the soles of my feet, forcing the terrain around me to change. Rock spurted from the ground and completely encased us inside its thick wall. Just as the jutsu had completed, and we were completely surrounded by a shield of rock, the kunai on the outside exploded simultaneously. Hana gasped, and the merchant screamed. Toshiro and Nikko stayed silent. I kept my hands clasped tightly together, holding the wall steady until the explosion had subsided.

I waited a few moments after the thunderous sound of the blast disappeared before I released my jutsu. The rock crumbled to the ground, granting us freedom, and I turned to my group, examining them for any injuries. "Is everyone alright?"

My Genin nodded. The merchant, on the other hand, stood still in shock. "Who," he breathed, his eyes staring off at nothing in particular, "Where did… What just happened?"

"Are you hurt?" I asked him.

Hana placed a hand on the terrified man's shoulder. "It's going to be ok, Mr. Akiyama. We're going to protect you."

"Kaeda Sensei!" I heard Toshiro shout, "Over there!"

I whirled my head into the direction that he pointed. Standing on a branch high above us were two men who grinned back at us. They were bulky, and they were dressed in ragged clothing with bandages covering their arms and legs. Their mouths contorted into the same amused smirks, their eyes narrowed in the same intense glare, and their short black hair spiked in the same direction. In other words, they were a mirror image of one another.

_A clone? _I asked myself, furrowing my eyebrows. Reaching into my weapons holster, I pulled out a few shuriken and whipped them in the men's direction. They swiftly dodged them by back flipping off of the tree branch and landing on the ground below. A cloud of dust filled the air where they landed. _Not a clone…_

"My, my, look at the cute little children," the man on the right snarled through his eerie grin. His voice was deep and dark, matching his height and muscular physique perfectly.

"Toshiro! Hana! Nikko!" I shouted, careful not to take my eyes off of our unwelcomed guests, "Surround Mr. Akiyama! I'll take care of these two."

"She's confident, Jiro," the first man said to the second.

The second man nodded in agreement. "She sure is, Ichiro."

_Two distinct names. They're not shadow clones, either. They're _twins.

Without wasting any more time, I rapidly formed a few hand seals and concentrated my chakra for another jutsu. "Earth Style: Mud Wave Jutsu!"

The terrain shot up from under me, lifting me high into the air. Surfing along the wave of rocky earth, I was able to quickly close the gap between my opponents and I. When I was in range, I leapt off of the swell to perform a double punch. Before I could hit them, however, the brothers jumped to either side, leaving my devastating attack to wreak havoc on the ground instead.

I swiftly recovered from the failed attack and returned to my feet. I blocked a punch to the face from the man called 'Jiro,' and I used the momentum to land a spin kick to my opponent's gut. He doubled over in pain, and I took that opportunity to search for the other brother. He was approaching my team, so I hastily formed a few more seals, focused my chakra, and called out, "Wind Style: Gust of Wind!" I swung my arm as if slapping the air, and a gust of wind shot from my hand, hitting the man and sending him flying into a nearby tree.

"Wow!" I heard Nikko cheer, "Kaeda Sensei, that was _awesome!_"

I sprinted toward my Genin and the merchant. "Are you guys alright? Did he get to you?"

"We're fine," Toshiro answered.

"I'm so glad you came with me," Mr. Akiyama sighed, trying to catch his breath, "They would have _killed _me if you hadn't!"

"It's all in a day's work, sir," I explained modestly, flashing him a reassuring smile, "We won't let anything happen to you."

"Hey!" Nikko shouted, pointing somewhere in the distance. I averted my gaze in the direction of his index finger to see that the brother called 'Ichiro' had lifted himself to his feet and was headed our way. "Kaeda Sensei, let me get him!"

Nikko dashed into the man's direction before I could protest. The redheaded boy threw a few kunai at the man, who dodged each one with ease. Nikko threw a punch to the man's gut, but Ichiro was able to capture his wrist and use joint manipulation to hold him in place. He flailed his arms and legs, but he could not free himself from the man's grasp.

I was about to race to Nikko's rescue, but Jiro approached me with a swift kick aimed for my head. Luckily I had sensed the attack, so I was able to duck down and twist my body to sweep the man's ankles. As I did so, I lifted my gaze to see that Ichiro was sifting through his weapons holster in search of something. Fearing the worst, I quickly created a shadow clone to assist Nikko. My opponent fell to the ground, and I quickly placed a kunai to his throat.

I watched as my shadow clone approached the man who had held Nikko captive. He held a kunai above his head, his bloodlust evident in his evil eyes as he started to plunge the weapon into Nikko's heart. He lost focus for a moment to kick my shadow clone, causing it to disappear in a puff of grey smoke. My heart began to race as the knife quickly approached the redhead's body.

Blood spurted into the air, dripping down and forming puddles in the dirt. My eyes widened at the sight.

Toshiro had thrown himself in front of the attack.


	6. Six: The Kiseigan Revealed

Author's Note: Wow, so I have had the worst luck this week.  
First my car gets stuck in the snow (making me ten minutes late for class... embarrassing -.-)  
Then my check engine light comes on, and no matter what we do, it still doesn't turn off, so I have no idea what's wrong with my car. :(  
Luckily I made it home without it blowing up or anything, hahaha.  
Then, to cheer myself up, I was going to play some Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 on XBOX 360, but guess what? My XBOX screws up and now it doesn't work. Gah!  
So, reviews for this chapter would definitely cheer me up. :)  
Thank you Angel42497 and BlackRose723 for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are awesome! :D

**Six: The Kiseigan Revealed**

"Toshiro!" Hana screamed from the sidelines. She stood in front of Mr. Akiyama with a kunai clutched in her hand, since she was now the only one guarding him. Her eyes widened in shock at the white-haired boy's wound. Luckily, Toshiro managed to position his body in a way that caused the knife to strike his shoulder, rather than any vital areas.

Toshiro, though wincing through the pain, wasted no time in landing a punch to the face of the man who had injured him. As his fist connected, the man lost grip of Nikko's arm, allowing the redhead to stumble to the ground.

Not wanting to kill the man I had held captive before I could ask them a few questions, I used the kunai in my hand to stab through his hand until the blade was lodged in the rocky earth. The man screamed in intense pain as blood trickled from his wound and reddened the brown earth. I didn't look back at him before rushing to Nikko's side and carrying him to safety.

After I had returned Nikko to Hana's side, I prepared to help Toshiro as well, but I stopped when I saw him. His normally blue eyes glowed bright green, and his body moved with such speed that I could not help but stare in amazement. The blows he landed on the man's body did not appear to be fatal, but Toshiro pressed with two fingers on each of the man's pressure points. The man, unable to keep up with the boy, fell to the ground and pleaded for him to stop.

Toshiro performed a few back handsprings to quickly create some distance, pulling the kunai from his shoulder once he resumed a ready stance. He then formed a few hand seals before saying quietly to himself, "Chakra Parasite Jutsu."

His eyes pulsed rhythmically from a bright glowing green to a dimmer green as he held his concentration. The man he had attacked was now writhing on the ground, gasping and whimpering. _So this is the power of the Kiseigan…_

"W-what are you doing to me?" The man cried in a shaky voice.

"Earlier, I punctured your vital chakra points, causing your own chakra to leak from your body," Toshiro explained as he remained completely focused and stoic, "Right now, I'm slowly absorbing that chakra into my own body."

"So," I heard another voice utter from a distance. Averting my gaze, I noticed that it was the other twin, with a badly bleeding hand and a crazed look in his eyes. "This must be the Isami boy, then."

I sprinted to Toshiro's side, ready to defend him in case of another attack. I wondered to myself how they had known about Toshiro, and I quickly decided that no matter how they learned about him, it probably wasn't for a good purpose. "What are you after?" I calmly demanded.

The bloody man dashed to his brother's side, and quickly threw him over his shoulder. He grinned and said, "Don't worry, we've already found what we're after," before ascending to the treetops and escaping.

I furrowed my eyebrows. _Found what they're after?_

Glancing at Toshiro, I noticed that his eyes were no longer glowing brightly and that they had returned to their normal ocean color. I quickly moved my eyes to Toshiro's shoulder, and I was surprised to see that his wound was almost completely healed. _Of course, _I thought to myself, _he used the extra chakra that he absorbed and concentrated it in his shoulder, allowing for an accelerated recovery. Since he didn't have to worry about using up all the foreign chakra, he was able to use all of it to heal his wound. Another amazing use of the Isami clan's kekkei genkai. To have such control over his jutsu at such a young age… it's incredible._

"Is everyone alright?" I finally asked, breaking the silence.

There were no complaints, so I exhaled in relief before glaring toward Nikko. "What were you thinking?" I exclaimed, resting my hands on my hips.

"I just wanted to help," the boy replied, crossing his arms defiantly over his chest.

"You could have gotten _killed!_" I struggled to keep myself from yelling. Nikko was quickly becoming nothing more than a liability to the team, and I was quickly losing patience.

"But I didn't, I'm _fine,_" Nikko insisted, rolling his eyes.

"Toshiro threw _himself _in front of that man's attack to save you. If he hadn't sacrificed himself for your well-being, you would have certainly been killed."

"I never asked anyone to save me."

"But that's what teammates do, Nikko. They help each other out. They _don't _go off getting themselves into trouble and causing problems for the rest of the team."

"I'm fine, really, Kaeda Sensei," Toshiro interjected.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "I know, Toshiro," I replied, "but the point I'm trying to make is that I gave specific orders for you all to guard Mr. Akiyama and to refrain from fighting as much as possible. Nikko deliberately disobeyed my orders and charged into a battle that he was greatly outmatched for, causing distress and injury to himself and the rest of the team."

Nikko pursed his lips, averting his narrowed eyes to the ground as he began trudging onward. "Whatever," he groaned, "I get it. I'm a terrible ninja. You don't have to tell me twice."

A pang of guilt attacked my heart. I hadn't meant for him to take my lecture quite that way. I only meant to get him to realize just what his actions had put the team through. I wanted him to learn that his actions not only affect himself, but everyone around him as well. As I watched the redhead sulking along, I sighed and urged everyone else to follow his lead. "Let's go," I breathed, "we're not far from Tanzaku Town."

We reached our destination in a matter of minutes. Mr. Akiyama smiled gratefully and thanked us for our help before turning to search for a busy area to set up shop. I watched as the middle aged man disappeared into the crowd of people before turning to my team. "Mission accomplished. Now let's head back to Konoha."

Since our client was no longer with us, we were able to use the treetops as means for faster transportation. A cool breeze whirled against my skin as I leapt from branch to branch, and I could see through the spaces in between the leaves that the sun was just beginning to set. Since it was getting late, I decided against training my Genin upon return to the village. I figured that their first real mission was eventful enough to sustain them until tomorrow. They deserved a good night's sleep tonight.

When we reached the village gates, I turned to face the group for the last time today. "Congratulations on completing your first mission," I said with a smile, "I'm proud of you. Now, go home, get some sleep, and prepare for some training tomorrow. I'm going to have to submit the report for our mission tomorrow morning, so we'll meet at the training field around noon. Sound good?"

My Genin nodded, so I dismissed them. As they started to walk away, however, I placed my hand on Nikko's shoulder. "Hold on a second, Nikko. I want to talk to you."

Nikko's eyes were still focused on the ground in front of him. "You going to tell me all the ways that I'm a horrible ninja?" He asked softly, a hint of sarcasm in his whiny little voice.

I smirked. "Dramatic, as usual."

I urged him to follow me as I began plodding down the village streets, heading toward Nikko's house. "Nikko," I began, "I may have been a tad harsh on you back there, but the reason I acted that way was because when I saw that man about to plunge that kunai into your chest… well… I was terrified."

Nikko's big brown eyes lifted to mine. They were softest that I had ever seen them. "You were?"

"Of course," I replied, "You guys are my students. I never want to see you get hurt. I only want to see you get stronger and become great ninja. And you can't get stronger if you're dead."

Nikko let out a small, unintentional laugh.

"There's something I want you to know, Nikko," I continued after a brief silence.

"What's that?" he asked.

"When I was your age, I was just like you," I sighed as I remembered the way I used to be. Over-confident, but all talk with no natural talent whatsoever. I got into a lot of trouble, and I made a lot of mistakes, all of which I regret and know I could have prevented had I just tried a little harder.

"Really?" Nikko furrowed his eyebrows in disbelief, "You were really like me?"

I nodded. "It came to a point where I was sick of being just a screw up. Through vicious training regimens, I pushed myself hard until I was so tired that I couldn't even speak. People didn't think that I could do it. They didn't think that I could change. But their doubts only fueled my fire even more, making me want to work harder and become even stronger. I wanted to prove them wrong so badly, but most of all, I wanted to prove to myself that I could be something more."

"Is that really true?" Nikko wondered aloud.

"Of course," I responded, "after years of intense training, my taijutsu was stronger, quicker, and more powerful than most Jonin, and I had mastered a variety of advanced ninjutsu. The Chunin exam would be the test of all my hard work. In the third round, I was chosen to fight against Kazu Yamazaki, the "genius" of our year. Everyone in the stands cheered for Kazu. They were sure that he was going to win."

"What happened?"

I smirked. "My jutsu was too powerful for him to handle. My movements were too fast for him to track. He was on the ground in a matter of minutes, and I hadn't even broken a sweat."

Nikko's jaw dropped in amazement. "Wow…"

"That moment changed me for good," I continued, "I was no longer the slacker who messed everything up."

We reached Nikko's house, and before I let him climb the porch steps, I kneeled down until I was at his level. I smiled. "If you work hard, then I'm positive that you can do it too. I know you can achieve greatness, Nikko."

Nikko's lips formed a small smile before he spun around to race up the stairs and open the doorknob. Before closing the door, he turned toward me and said, "Thanks, Kaeda Sensei."

Feeling accomplished. I turned on my heel and began heading for home.


	7. Seven: Deliberation

Author's Note: Another update from school. You guys are lucky. :P  
Haha nah, I'm lucky that I have so many people who like this story! Thank you everyone!  
And thanks to those of you who were concerned about my car situation, hahaha. Looks like it should be fixed by tonight, which is good. :)  
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I don't think it's very long, but hopefully still good? haha.  
Reviews would be splendid, as always. :D  
Thank you to Angel42497, Ninja Trio's Best, Sara and Kisa, and BlackRose723 for reviewing the last chapter. You are amazing!

**Seven: Deliberation**

When I had finally made it home, I opened the door only to be greeted by a very impatient-looking Kakashi sitting on the kitchen countertop. His drooping right eye stared, unwavering, in my direction, as if he had been sitting there awaiting my arrival the entire day. Normally I would have laughed at such a pitiful act, but there was so much on my mind that I simply scoffed instead. Kicking the door shut, I stepped further into the room and placed my hands on my hips. "Why are you here?" I asked.

"I'm waiting for dinner," he replied, kicking his feet in a childlike manner.

"Well I'm not cooking," I sighed, advancing past him and entering the living room. I threw myself face-first onto the sofa and closed my eyes.

I could hear Kakashi's disbelieving gasp as he slid himself off of the counter, his shoes tapping gently against the hardwood floor as he did so. "You mean I sat around here _waiting _for you for no reason?"

I craned my neck to flash him a confused look. "You've been here all day?"

Kakashi shrugged. "I had nothing better to do…"

"Ah, of course," I rolled my eyes, returning my head to the comfort of the soft cushion underneath me.

Kakashi took a seat in a living chair across from the couch. He looked at me for a long time, as if trying to figure out exactly what I was thinking. After a long silence, Kakashi sighed in defeat as he remembered that he, in fact, _wasn't_ a mind reader and finally asked, "What's on your mind?"

I flipped myself over so that I was lying on my back, placing one hand beneath my head and the other over my stomach. "Well, before I get into that, I'm going to have to tell you about today's mission."

"Alright."

"Much to my surprise, Lady Hokage assigned us an escort mission, meaning we actually got to leave the village for the first time."

"Where'd you go?" Kakashi interrupted.

"Tanzaku Town. Now—"

"Who did you have to escort?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "A merchant."

"What did he sell?"

"Kakashi, for crying out loud!" I half-yelled-half-laughed.

Kakashi joined me in laughter. "Alright, alright. I'll listen."

"As I was _saying,_" I continued, glaring in his direction, "On the way to Tanzaku Town, we encountered enemies. They seemed just like regular bandits, but… after what one of the men said… I'm not so sure…"

"What did he say?" Kakashi inquired, leaning forward in his seat. He placed his elbows on his knees while resting his chin atop his laced fingers.

"Well, Nikko stupidly charged into battle even though I specifically told him not to. He was quickly captured by one of the men, who almost pierced a kunai straight through the boy's chest. Luckily, Toshiro, the wielder of the Isami clan's kekkei genkai, threw himself in front of the attack. After puncturing the man's vital chakra points, he began absorbing his chakra, using it to heal the wound from the kunai. Before he could be finished off, however, the men managed to escape. They said that they'd _'found what they're after'_ before they took off."

"'_Found what they're after?'_" Kakashi repeated.

I nodded. "I've been trying to figure out what they meant by it."

"You said they were bandits?"

"I thought so at first," I responded, "but, now that I think about it, they didn't steal anything. Hell, they didn't even seem interested in the merchant at all. It seemed like… like they just wanted to fight."

Kakashi closed his eyes. The only sound he made was the gentle exhalation of air through his nose. "Could they have been testing your skills?" He finally suggested.

I shrugged. "I guess it's a possibility, but why would they do it? What's so special about a group of Genin ninja and their Jonin leader?"

After a moment of reflection, Kakashi and I simultaneously locked eyes, as if we both had realizations at the same time. "Could it be…" Kakashi started.

"The Kiseigan?" I finished.

"It is possible," Kakashi stated, "I mean, there have been multiple instances where outsiders attempted to unlock the secrets of kekkei genkai for themselves. The Byakugan, for example."

"Yeah," I breathed, "those Cloud ninja bastards kidnapped Hinata when she was just three years old… Those cowards… She was too young to even defend herself!"

"People are willing to do just about anything they can to gain more power," Kakashi said in a low voice.

As I thought about what was being said, I began to reflect on today's mission. I thought about Toshiro's unveiling of the Kiseigan, and I remembered how Toshiro's target writhed in pain as the life was slowly sucked out of him. The man's twin managed to save him, and I remembered the wicked grin that crept onto his face as he muttered, "This must be the Isami boy, then."

I gasped as I recalled the evil hiss of his voice and the glint of victory in his narrowed eyes. "Shit," I cursed under my breath, "Now that I think of it, I did find it particularly strange that they had been expecting Toshiro. One of the man said, _'This must be the Isami boy,'_ as Toshiro was using his Kiseigan on the other."

"Sure sounds like they're after the boy," Kakashi concluded.

I started to panic. I bolted upright and headed for the front door. "I need to inform Lady Tsunade of this."

"I'm coming with you," Kakashi told me, lifting himself out of his chair to follow me.

Thankfully the sun had completely disappeared for the night, meaning that we didn't have to meander through a sea of villagers on our way to the Hokage Mansion. Sprinting the whole way, we arrived at the building in a matter of minutes. We raced up the stairs, skipping one or two at a time, and when we reached the top floor, I impatiently bashed my knuckles against the Hokage's closed door. Before she had even finished the phrase, "Come in," I had almost kicked the door off of the hinges.

"Lady Hokage!" I cried as I dashed into the room. Kakashi placed a hand on my shoulder, as if telling me without words to calm down. The touch of his hand brought me back to my senses.

"What is it, Kaeda? Kakashi?" Lady Tsunade inquired, furrowing her eyebrows at my dramatic entry. She tapped a stack of papers against the top of her desk before placing them inside a folder and closing it.

"We're terribly sorry for the intrusion," Kakashi apologized on my behalf, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"We believe that Toshiro Isami is a target for kidnapping," I quickly explained.

The Fifth's eyes hardened upon hearing me. "On what basis?" She asked seriously.

"Occurrences during today's mission suggest that a group of unknown enemies is after the Isami clan's kekkei genkai, the _Kiseigan_." I told her.

Her brown eyes shifted to the side for a moment as she thought in silence. "Alright," she finally replied, "I'm listening."


	8. Eight: Preparation

Author's Note: Ahh, the weekend. This week felt like a long one.  
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Not a whole lot of action, but hopefully a nice fluffy moment with Kakashi at the end will make up for that. :)  
Thanks to BlackRose723, Angel42497, and Ninja Trio's Best for the reviews on chapter seven! You guys made my day. :D  
Reviews on this chapter would be amazing. It's great to hear what you guys think!

**Eight: Preparation**

I explained the entire situation to the Hokage; the enemy attack, the Kiseigan's unveiling, and everything else in between. I made sure that no detail was left unsaid. Lady Tsunade listened with stern eyes, her laced fingers shielding the lower half of her face as she took in the information spilling from my lips. Kakashi gently placed his hand on the small of my back when I started to talk too fast, instantly calming my nerves so I could articulate better. When I had finally finished speaking, Lady Tsunade sat back in her chair to think everything over.

"I see," she said softly, pursing her lips in thought.

"What should we do, m'lady?" I urged.

Kakashi leaned closer to me. "Calm down, Kae," he whispered, "Let her think."

I bit my lip and glared at the floor. Patience wasn't _exactly _my cup of tea.

The Fifth sighed as she rose from her seat, walking around it to peer out the window facing the village. "Alright," she said, "Here's what we do."

"We're listening," I assured her.

"I'm going to send a squad of Jonin to patrol the Isami clan's corner of the village. They'll be at every entrance, watching for anyone suspicious within the vicinity. Toshiro will be guarded at all times. In the meantime, you, Kaeda, will accompany Squad Seven to investigate. Go outside the village, and gather any information you can about the situation. Report back to me within three days, then we'll figure the rest of this out."

"What about Hana and Nikko?" I asked her.

"They'll remain in the village," she answered, "They're straight out of the academy; this mission may be a bit too much for them yet."

I nodded in agreement. It wasn't that I didn't believe in my team, it was just that I wanted them to be safe.

"Now," Lady Tsunade breathed, "pack up for your mission tonight, and leave first thing in the morning. I'll send someone to inform Sakura and Naruto."

Kakashi and I bowed, thanking her for her time, before turning to exit the room.

The journey back to my apartment was silent, for I was too deep in thought to converse with my friend. I didn't think that I would have to deal with an issue like this at all, let alone a mere month after I had met the three Genin assigned to me. To think that someone would have the nerve to conspire against an entire clan of good people by taking advantage of their youth was disgusting to me. I grimaced as I dreamt about what terrible things I would do to those people.

When we reached my apartment, I stepped inside and immediately kicked my shoes off. Kakashi mimicked me, and the two of us trudged down the hall to enter my bedroom. I began rifling through my drawers, grabbing all the kunai, shuriken, bandages, tags, and scrolls I could find. I shoved the weapons into the holster on my leg, and I put the rest into another pouch that I had also extracted from the drawer. I set the two bags on my dresser after loading them up and zipping them shut. "Well, I'm all packed," I sighed.

"It took you a whole minute," Kakashi mused.

I scrunched my face in his direction, earning me an amused laugh. "Aren't you going to go home and pack?" I asked him.

"Trying to get rid of me… how rude," Kakashi mock-cried, hiding his face in his hands.

I rolled my eyes at him, although I couldn't keep the smile from forming on my lips. "You goober," I laughed.

Kakashi lowered his hands to his sides and lifted his eyes to mine. "Goober?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yep,"

"I can't believe you just called me a goober."

"Well, believe it, because I did."

"You're an interesting woman, you know that?"

"So I've heard," I sighed while letting myself fall onto the soft, inviting mattress beside my window. I closed my eyes, letting my blankets and pillows envelop me in their warmth and comfort. I felt the other half of the bed dip down under Kakashi's weight as he seated himself beside me. Peeking one eye open, I grumbled, "Don't get any bright ideas,"

"Damn," he whispered, loud enough so that I would hear.

I was so relaxed that I decided against swatting his arm. Instead, I laughed at his response.

Kakashi let himself fall into a more comfortable position. He brought both hands up to cradle the back of his neck, and he crossed his ankles while sighing contentedly. I turned my head to look at him. His spiky silver hair fanned over the pillow, contrasting with my black sheets so much that it seemed to shimmer in the dim lighting. The mask that he wore so religiously matched the dark value of the rest of the bed, and, for some reason, I wanted so badly to just reach over and pull it down. For as long as I've known him, I have never seen him without that thing on his face.

He turned to face me, his visible black eye instantly bringing me back to reality. I smiled at him, and, despite the invisibility of the lower half of his face, I could tell that he was returning the gesture. "Remember when we were teenagers? We used to do this all the time." Kakashi wondered aloud.

"Except we wouldn't have been in my bed," I giggled, "My mother would have had a stroke."

Kakashi laughed. "She was pretty paranoid."

I couldn't control my goofy smile as I remembered a night when Kakashi had snuck into my bedroom without my parents knowing. We were lying on my bed, talking, laughing, and reminiscing about old missions from when we were Genin. Kakashi had wrapped his arm around my shoulders, and I had leaned into him; it was meant to be nothing more than a friendly gesture, but when my mother came up to check on me, that's obviously not how she saw it. She screamed so loud that I was sure we were going to get complaints from the neighbors. Kakashi and I were so startled that we bolted out of bed and stood frozen as she proceeded to lecture us on our "provocative" behavior. At the time, I was scared out of my mind, but when I think about it now, I just can't help but laugh at how ridiculous she was.

My expression as I tried to contain my amusement must have been pretty strange-looking, for Kakashi burst into laughter and asked, "Are you thinking of the night when—"

"My mom walked in on us and—"

"Basically gave us the—"

"Sex talk!" We finished our explanations in unison, and we immediately burst into a fit of uncontrollable giggles. Tears squeezed out of my tightly closed eyes as I struggled to gain control over my breathing. My cheeks burned and so did my lungs. Finally, after a few minutes, we managed to calm ourselves down until we could actually form whole words.

"That was so incredibly awkward," I said.

"Definitely," Kakashi agreed.

"We weren't even doing anything wrong."

"Right," Kakashi nodded, "I mean, what's so wrong about this?" As he spoke, he snaked his right arm underneath the small space between my neck and my pillow, wrapping it loosely around my shoulders just as he did when we were teenagers.

I blushed, and my muscles tensed slightly. I really didn't expect him to do that, for, despite the occasional friendly hug, he hadn't been this close to me in years. Although I was feeling sort of strange, I leaned myself into him anyway, enjoying the warmth of his body.

"Nothing," I agreed, while somewhat trying to convince myself at the same time, "nothing about this is wrong."

My muscles slowly relaxed, and I allowed myself roll over and place my right hand on his chest. I rested my head in the space where his arm and shoulder met, and I couldn't help but remember how nice it felt to be in his arms. Inhaling his musky scent, a smile formed on my lips as I let my eyes fall close. I could hear the steady rhythm of his beating heart, and that, along with the slight rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, lulled me into a pleasant daze.

Kakashi lightly rubbed my back with his fingertips. "Please tell me that your mom doesn't regularly check up on you anymore." His voice was low and raspy from a mixture of fatigue and comfort.

"You're safe," I laughed.

"Good," he replied, "because I'm too comfortable to move."

I smiled, "Me too."


	9. Nine: Squad Seven Plus One

Author's Note: Wow. I feel like I'm way behind on everything. Haha.  
At least I'm on time with another update! :D If you couldn't tell, I've been shooting for adding a new chapter every Monday and Friday.  
Oh, and I have some exciting news! (For me anyway... not sure if you're all going to be as excited as I am haha)  
I thought of a new story idea! It's strange because I usually can't think of new ideas while in the process of writing a story, but this idea just came to me and I love it. It's way different from anything else I've written.  
I'm still going to finish this story first, before I start writing the new one. It's just easier that way, sorry!  
But I can tell you that it's going to be a GaaraxOC story. For real this time. Haha.  
Thanks to Ninja Trio's Best, ILuvOdie, Angel32497, Sara and Kisa, and BlackRose723 for the amazing reviews! They made me happy, as usual. :D And I'm glad you all liked the fluff!

**Nine: Squad Seven… Plus One**

The next morning, my alarm clock's high-pitched ring wrenched me from my pleasant slumber. I jolted upright, startled by the sudden noise, and tried to look around through sleep-crusted eyes. Wiping them clean, I turned to glare at the source of the ringing, which read seven o'clock, and pressed the 'Off' button. When the sound had ceased, I breathed a heavy sigh of relief as I let myself fall back to the comfort of my bed.

Turning my head to the side, I expected to see a sleeping Kakashi, but I was disappointed when I realized that I was alone. I wondered if it had all been a dream. His touch, his smell… it had all felt so _real. _Deciding against putting myself through the mental turmoil involved in deciphering the previous night, I hoisted myself upright and slid off the bed to prepare for the day's mission instead.

I dragged myself into the bathroom for a quick shower. Thankfully, the warm water managed to wash the sleep away from my face and energize my body. When I had finished washing the grime from my skin and hair, I rinsed my soapy self before turning the water off and immediately wrapping myself in a towel. I quickly brushed my teeth and lined my eyes with black liner before turning to exit the bathroom. My feet tapped against the cold tile as I headed back to my room for some clothes.

Remembering the previous day, I made sure to peek through the door before opening it completely. I didn't want another embarrassing half-naked encounter with Kakashi. The room was still empty, so I quickly made for my closet and pulled out my Jonin uniform. I stepped into the black pants and pulled the black long-sleeved shirt over my body, immediately rolling the sleeves up just past my elbows. Before slipping into my muted green vest, I pulled my hair into a low, messy bun.

To complete my ensemble, I searched through my top drawer for my headband. When I did not see it, however, I furrowed my brows in confusion and pushed the drawer shut. I turned on my heel, trying to remember where I had left it, when I saw the sun glaring brightly from atop my bedside table. Sighing, I plodded toward it to find my headband placed neatly on the surface. I reached out to grab it so I could wrap the fabric around my forehead. Before I could do so, however, I noticed a piece of folded paper had been hidden underneath the material, so I opened it up to examine its content.

"_Kae—_

_Meet Naruto, Sakura, and I at the village gates at nine o'clock. We'll plan everything out before we leave._

—_Kakashi_

_P.S. I hope you slept well. :)"_

I smiled at the postscript. This must have meant that Kakashi was, in fact, here with me last night, and it wasn't just a dream. I tossed the paper back onto my bedside table before pulling the black cloth of my headband tightly against my forehead. I then grabbed the two holsters I had stocked the night before, strapping one around my right leg and attaching the other to my left back pocket. The clock read 8:45, meaning I had just enough time to make it to the village gates to meet my comrades.

Since I was going to be away for a few days, I locked the doors and windows before exiting my apartment. I gazed upwards at the morning sky as I started along the rocky path. It was a beautiful bright blue, and there were only a few fluffy white clouds floating along. A gentle breeze caressed my exposed skin, offering a bit of relief from the hot sun. It was a lovely day, and it seemed like everyone in the village was outside enjoying it.

When the village gates were in sight, I noticed that both Sakura and Naruto had already arrived. I waved to them as I approached, and they returned the gesture. "Hey, Kaeda Sensei," Sakura smiled.

"Kaeda Sensei! Long time no see!" Naruto shouted.

I smiled at the both of them. "Every time I see you two, you look so much older than I remember. Naruto, when did you get taller than me?" I patted his head with my hand.

Naruto laughed. "I've been tall for a long time. I think you just shrunk!"

"Naruto!" Sakura grumbled, clenching her hand into a fist and holding it up in a threatening manner, "Show a little respect, you idiot!"

Naruto held both of his hands up defensively while whining, "Come on, Sakura! Give me a break, I was just kidding!"

I snickered at them. "It's ok, Sakura." I said, "I know that Naruto is just a big goofball."

Naruto grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his left hand.

"So," I sighed, "Kakashi's late."

"Yeah," Sakura groaned, combing her fingers through her shoulder-length pink hair, "that's Kakashi for you."

"Tell me about it!" Naruto agreed, "And we've been putting up with it for three years!"

"Patience is a virtue, you two," I laughed. I began tapping my foot as I searched the vicinity for Kakashi, and I groaned when I still hadn't seen him after a few seconds. "And it's a virtue that I obviously don't have. Where is he?"

Sakura and Naruto laughed, joining me in my search for Kakashi. After a few minutes, I finally noticed a mess of spiky silver hair in the sea of villagers, and I breathed a sigh of relief. "There he is," I said.

They averted their eyes to the direction in which mine were looking, and when they had each found him, they simultaneously called out, "Kakashi Sensei!"

Kakashi lifted his head upon hearing their voices. He waved when he saw us, shoving a volume of his favorite pervy series of books into his back pouch. "Hey there, everyone," he greeted, "are we ready to discuss our mission, then?"

"We've been ready for five minutes," I grumbled, glaring at him.

"This is nothing, Kaeda Sensei," Naruto told me, "In the past, Kakashi has kept us waiting for _hours_!"

"What's your excuse this time, Kakashi Sensei?" Sakura asked with a laugh, "Get lost on the 'path of life' again?"

"No," Kakashi answered while stretching his arms over his head, "I just woke up a little late is all."

Sakura and Naruto appeared somewhat surprised. "Well that's a new one," Sakura said to herself.

"Alright," I sighed, clapping my hands together in hopes of earning everyone's attention, "Are we ready to get started here?"

The other three nodded their heads. "I have a quick question first," Naruto said.

"What's that?" I asked him.

"What exactly are we investigating?"

Kakashi took the lead on answering his question. "Do you know Toshiro Isami? He's one of Kaeda Sensei's students."

"Yeah, I know him. Kind of short, white hair in a ponytail, always wears a black and green jacket?"

"That's him," Kakashi nodded, "And I'm assuming you know about the Isami clan's kekkei genkai?"

"Eh…" Naruto's voice trailed off as he struggled to remember.

"It's a chakra absorption kekkei genkai," Sakura explained to him, "They use a technique that's similar to the Hyuga clan's gentle fist, but instead of simply stopping the flow of chakra, the Isami clan ruptures the vital chakra points, causing chakra to leak out. The Isami can then absorb this chakra into their own body and use it for themselves."

"Whoa!" Naruto exclaimed, "That's so cool!"

"Anyway," Kakashi continued, "Kaeda Sensei and her team came across some strange men who were acting suspiciously around Toshiro. Because of this, we believe that there may be a group of people who are targeting Toshiro in order to steal the Isami clan's kekkei genkai. Our job is to investigate and hopefully try and find out who is behind all of this so we can stop them."

"Alright, yeah," Naruto growled through gritted teeth, his fists clenching tightly as his blood began to boil, "We can't let these bastards get away with something like that!" I laughed quietly to myself; Naruto's appearance may have drastically changed over the years, but he was still the same hotheaded kid he had always been.

"So, what's the plan?" Sakura calmly asked after nudging the blonde boy in hopes that he would calm down a bit.

I cleared my throat before speaking. "Well," I began, "I thought that we could first go to the area where I encountered the men. If we head into the direction that they went when they were leaving, maybe we'll come across some clues as to where they might be now."

"Good idea," Kakashi agreed, "From there, we can check out any neighboring towns and villages to find out if anyone else has spotted them."

"Sounds good to me," Sakura concurred as she pulled her black gloves over her hands.

"Yeah, let's go!" Naruto shouted.

"Kaeda," Kakashi turned to me, "lead the way."


	10. Ten: A Trail to Follow

Author's Note: Ahh, it's finally the weekend. Who else is relieved? :P  
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Day one on the hunt for the twin bandits! Wonder if they'll find anything...  
Haha, anyway, thanks so much to Angel42497, BlackRose723, and Echo Uchiha for the reviews! You guys are great, as always. :D  
Reviews on this chapter would also be greatly appreciated. Your feedback is always awesome to hear!  
Oh, and we're at the double-digit mark! Woot! Haha. Not that you couldn't tell for yourselves or anything... :P

**Ten: A Trail to Follow**

We traveled quickly through the treetops to our destination. Naruto and Sakura were behind me, and Kakashi was in the back of the formation. My eyes were constantly darting around our surroundings in search of any sort of clue, but so far I had not seen anything. I tried not to get frustrated, considering it was so early in the mission, but that proved to be somewhat difficult.

I glared against the bright sunlight; even the millions upon millions of leaves in the trees could not properly shield us from the blinding light. Luckily the wind-chill from our high speed of travel managed to keep us cool on this hot day. For a second, I found myself wishing that I hadn't worn my Jonin uniform, but I quickly caught myself and refocused on the mission at hand.

On the ground, I noticed an area with great chasms on the forest floor and pieces of shattered earth scattered all around. I immediately attributed it to my use of earth style jutsu the previous day. "There," I said to my teammates while pointing my finger at the ground, "That's where I ran into them."

My comrades followed me as I gracefully lowered myself to ground level. "I see you used your earth style jutsu," Kakashi nonchalantly observed.

"Really?" I rolled my eyes, "How _ever _did you know?"

"Kaeda Sensei!" Naruto shouted, "You have earth chakra? I have wind chakra!"

"Kaeda Sensei has wind chakra as well, Naruto," Kakashi told him.

"Whoa!" Naruto grinned, "That's so cool!"

"Naruto," Sakura called from a distance, "stop bothering Kaeda Sensei and focus on the mission."

"Oh, right," he sighed, "I'll go look over here!" He ran into the opposite direction, searching around a group of bushes that were surrounding a very large tree.

I turned on my heel to search a different area. I ran my fingers across the rough bark of the trees I had circled as my eyes scanned the ground. As I walked, I kicked a chunk of rocky earth out of my path, and I furrowed my eyebrows when a glob of dirt that was tinted red was revealed. After a split second, I remembered the kunai that I had stabbed through the hand of the twin that I had held captive. _Of course, _I thought to myself. The answer was obvious.

"Hey, guys," I called to my teammates. Each one of them immediately stopped what they were doing to lift their gaze to meet mine. "I figured out a way to track them."

"How?" Naruto asked. The three of them began jogging in my direction to see what I had found.

"Well," I began, "I managed to hold one of the men captive for a small amount of time. To help Toshiro and Nikko get out of trouble, though, I kind of stabbed a kunai through the man's hand to keep him situated while I was away."

"I'm guessing that's what the red stain in the dirt means," Sakura noted.

I nodded. "He obviously freed himself and got away, but his hand was still bleeding profusely. I was thinking that we could follow the blood trail until we found the two, or at least until we find another way to track them down."

"Good thinking, Kae," Kakashi said. I could tell that he was smiling underneath that mask of his.

"Wait a second," Sakura interrupted, "the trail doesn't go very far. It stops only about twenty feet away." She pointed her index finger, and we each averted our eyes to the direction that she aimed. Sure enough, the spots of bloody earth ended with a larger pool of blood at the end of the trail.

I racked my brain, trying to remember what exactly had happened. I recalled the man sprinting to his suffering brother's side and then throwing him over his shoulder. That was when he said that they had _"found what they're after." _But what did they do after that… which direction did they go?

As the memory resurfaced, I allowed an unintentional gasp of excitement escape my lips. "The trees," I whispered.

"What?" Naruto inquired, raising his eyebrows at me.

"They leapt to the treetops. The trail on the ground disappears, but there's got to be more of his blood in the branches."

"Of course," Sakura said, "it's so obvious."

"It's most likely that they first jumped to the tree that's closest to that pool of blood on the ground," Kakashi observed, pointing his finger to a large tree that was only a few feet away, "That one."

"We should examine each of the branches for any trace of blood," I decided. The rest of the team agreed with me, and each of us climbed to different heights of the tree to check for any sign of a continuation of the trail.

Kakashi concentrated his chakra to his feet and began sprinting up the tree's wide trunk to investigate the top of the tree. Naruto then followed behind him, stopping a bit lower than Kakashi did. Sakura stopped a bit lower than Naruto, leaving me to examine the lowest branches. I crouched down, the balls of my feet balancing skillfully on a very skinny limb and my left hand resting against the trunk for support. My eyes focused on the bark, looking for any sort of change in color or texture.

Leaves fell from above me as my comrades continued searching. I couldn't help but gaze at them. Their bright green color matched that of Toshiro's eyes as he unleashed his clan's kekkei genkai. Exhaling loudly, I moved to a different branch as I tried to push the thoughts of my student's potentially dangerous situation out of my mind.

Minutes passed, and still I had found nothing, nor had I heard anything from my teammates. I started to fear that my plan wasn't going to work, but, luckily, my negativity was diminished by the sound of Sakura's voice calling out, "I think I found something!"

I leapt higher and higher above the ground until I was at Sakura's level. Naruto and Kakashi descended as well. Sakura pointed toward a small spot that was stained a slightly darker color. The tree limb also had tiny scuffmarks along its length, probably from the man's shoes as he hastily tried to escape. I smiled at the pink-haired girl. "This is it. Good job, Sakura."

"Now we just have to find out which way they went," Kakashi told us, "Let's each search the surrounding trees for any signs of blood or wear-and-tear from travel. Stay at this altitude."

We each headed different directions, and, much to my surprise, it wasn't long at all before Naruto was able to confirm that they were heading south. We traveled together, finding more broken tree branches and bloodstains along the way. As the sky became a soft gradient of burnt orange and dark purple, however, the blood trail had begun to disappear, and there was no detectable sign of travel to guide us. We lowered ourselves to the ground to talk over the next step that we would take, and when we did, we noticed that where the trees cleared in the distance, there was a small village. It had a few small houses, a couple merchants trying to sell their goods, and a… _hot spring resort?_

"Do you think the those guys could have passed through here?" Naruto asked.

"It's possible," Kakashi answered him.

"We should ask the villagers if anyone has seen them," I suggested.

"Right," Kakashi agreed, "Why don't you tell us exactly what they looked like. That way, we can split up and cover more ground in less time."

I described the men exactly as I remembered them. Twins that looked exactly alike. Short, spiky black hair, bulky, wide mouths, ragged clothes, and bandages limbs. They were certainly a memorable pair. It wasn't likely that, if someone were to have seen them, they would have easily forgotten them.

Before the four of us split up to interview the village's people, we resolved to meet back at the hot springs just before the sun had disappeared for the night. Looking towards the sky, I figured I didn't have much time left, so I immediately set off to talk to as many villagers as I could.

The first person I found was a middle aged woman who was carrying two bags of groceries in her arms. Her graying hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and her glasses sat low on the tip of her nose. "Excuse me, ma'am," I said to her, "I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions."

"You're a leaf ninja?" She immediately asked, squinting her eyes as if trying to see me better.

"Yes, ma'am," I answered, wiping away sweat from underneath my forehead protector, "We're investigating suspicious activity that has been going on in the forest." I described the twins for her, and then asked her if she recalled seeing them.

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear," the lady apologized, "but I'm afraid my vision just isn't what it used to be. I have a difficult time telling apart apples from oranges, nowadays."

I thanked the woman for her time before offering to escort her back to her home. She politely declined, but wished me luck on my mission. The next person I managed to find was the produce merchant. He stood behind his table of fruits and vegetables, fanning himself with his hand for some relief from the hot sun. "Good evening, sir," I smiled at him.

The man looked young, probably in his mid-to-late-twenties. His short brown hair was damp with sweat and his bright green eyes looked exhausted from a long day of sitting in the sun. He forced a smile onto his face before greeting me respectfully.

I described the men for him, but also did not recall seeing them. I thanked him before continuing on my way. Before sunset arrived, I managed to question an adolescent child, an elderly man, and a young woman, all of whom never saw the men that I described. Sighing dejectedly, I trudged along the dirt path until I arrived at the hot spring resort. Sakura had already arrived and was sitting on a bench waiting for her teammates' arrivals.

"Any luck?" I asked her as I took a seat beside her.

She shook her head sadly. "No, you?"

"Nope," I sighed.

"Well," Sakura said, "maybe Naruto and Kakashi Sensei managed to find some information."

After a few minutes of waiting, Naruto and Kakashi both appeared from separate directions. The looks on their faces suggested that they, too, had no luck. "Well, this day was a bust," I rolled my eyes.

"I guess they never passed through here," Kakashi shrugged, "They probably just passed over this village."

"It is pretty small," Naruto agreed, "I mean, I didn't even see it until we were standing right in front of it!"

I smiled. "You're right. I'm just being pessimistic."

"You know what will fix that?" Kakashi asked. He didn't even wait for me to answer before saying, "A stay at this lovely hot spring resort. What do you guys say? It'll be my treat!"

Naruto and Sakura immediately began cheering in approval, and they raced up the porch steps while repeatedly expressing their gratitude towards Kakashi's nice gesture. I, however, wasn't quite as excited. Furrowing my eyebrows, I asked him, "What about the mission?"

"It's already dark out, so we're going to have to set up camp soon anyway. This will be a hell of a lot better than sleeping on the ground."

He could tell that I was still a bit unsure, so he continued, "Toshiro's in good hands, Kae. You've got to stop worrying so much."

I raised my eyebrows at him, unable to control my growing smile. Kakashi treating us to a night at a fancy resort? It was sort of… _unbelievable_. Kakashi extended his hand toward me, and, after hesitating a moment, I obliged and placed my hand in his. He helped me to my feet and then put his arm around my shoulders, leading me toward the entrance. "Treating the four of us like this… I'm impressed," I grinned.

"What can I say? I'm a giver," He responded. The modesty that was evident in his voice made me snicker.

I ruffled his silver hair affectionately before wrapping my arm around his waist. "I don't think you realize how expensive it is to stay at one of these resorts," I laughed.

I could feel Kakashi's muscles tense a bit. "How much?"

Without answering his question, I broke free from his grasp and bounded up the porch steps. "Thank you, Kakashi! You're _such _a giving person!" I laughed as I ran through the doorway, leaving a very confused and frightened Kakashi behind me.


	11. Eleven: Relaxing and Reminiscing

Author's Note: I love you all.  
I got such fantastic feedback from you since my last update and it has made me feel so amazing. :)  
I can't thank you guys enough! :D  
Thanks to Angel42497, Echo Uchiha, Sara and Kisa, and MikaUchiha666 for the reviews, and BlackRose723 for the lovely message!  
Anyway, enjoy this chapter, and look out for my next update on Friday! :D  
Reviews are always greatly appreciated!

**Eleven: Relaxing and Reminiscing**

After we had checked into the resort, the four of us were escorted to our rooms by one of the employees. Sakura and I were to share one room, and Kakashi and Naruto received the adjacent room. We thanked the woman for her help before stealing into our rooms to drop off our belongings and prepare ourselves for a relaxing night.

When I entered the room, I couldn't help but gape in awe at what I saw. The walls were painted a very pretty shade of light muted green, and the trim was a rich dark wood. The earthy tones, as well as the gentle sound of water fountains coming from outside, created a very peaceful atmosphere in the very large and open room. A sliding glass door on the far wall revealed a patio overlooking a beautiful garden area that further enhanced the serenity of the place.

On one end of the room were two neatly made full-sized beds. The white down comforters had not one wrinkle, and I had never seen pillows that looked so plush and inviting. Atop each of the bedside tables were various floral-scented candles in decorative sconces, and on the corner sat a digital alarm clock, which read 8:45 PM in neon green light. Folded on top of the each of the beds was a soft, peach-colored robe, one for both Sakura and I, as well as a pair of matching slippers.

Across the room was a stone fireplace that was already stocked with wood. A large white sofa faced the fireplace, as well as a coffee table made of dark wood that matched the room's other accents. Sitting on top of the coffee table was a bouquet of pink and purple flowers that had been placed inside a beautiful blue and green vase. A delightful fragrance filled my lungs as I took a deep breath in through my nose. As I exhaled, a smile crept onto my lips. "This room is amazing," I sighed.

"It sure is!" Sakura agreed, tiptoeing further into the room. She twirled around in a circle and began to laugh, and I couldn't help but smile at her excitement.

I closed the door behind me before advancing further, passing the bathroom and a storage space as I did so. There were shelves and hangers for our belongings, but instead of unpacking I simply tossed my two weapon holsters and my headband onto one of the platforms.

Sakura grasped a robe in her hands and rubbed her hands against the fluffy material. "Did you need to use the bathroom, Kaeda Sensei?" She asked.

I shook my head. "Go ahead, Sakura."

With a smile, she danced into the bathroom, bringing the robe with her, and closed the door behind her.

The soft mattress sank under my weight as I took a seat. I slipped off my shoes, sighing as all the pain of being on my feet all day seemed to disappear, and I replaced them with the slippers that had been left for me to use. "That's better," I said to myself.

I let myself fall backwards until I was lying on my back, allowing my eyes to close and my mind to roam free. Despite the relaxing atmosphere, however, I found myself thinking about the mission. I wondered if staying here at this hot spring was such a good idea. Kakashi seemed certain that Toshiro would be fine, but for some reason I just couldn't keep myself from worrying about him. I cared deeply for each of my students, and I would have been devastated if any of them got hurt… especially if I could have somehow prevented it.

The gentle creaking of the bathroom door being opened snapped me out of my trance. I lifted myself to a sitting position, trying to shake away the thoughts that plagued my mind. Sakura exited the bathroom wearing her robe and slippers. She neatly folded her clothes and placed them onto one of the shelves in the storage unit. "You can have the bathroom now, Kaeda Sensei," she told me.

"Alright," I replied, sliding off of the bed and grabbing my robe in the process, "I'll just meet you at the hot spring; don't worry about waiting for me."

Smiling in response, the pink-haired girl turned on her heel to exit the room, and when she was gone, I walked into the bathroom without bothering to close the door. Approaching the sink, I turned on the faucet and splashed some cold water on my face, hoping that would somehow free my mind from all of its worries. It didn't, sadly.

I shrugged out of my vest, letting it fall to the floor, then proceeded to free myself from the rest of my clothing. The cool air, or perhaps a nervous chill, caused my entire body to quiver for a moment as my skin became exposed. As I started to slide into my robe, I tried not to look at myself in the mirror, but once my eyes had accidentally flickered upward, I found myself unable to look away. The wounds that had never healed were all I could see. I knew that it was normal for a ninja to receive battle scars, but for some reason I just couldn't look past them…

Before any painful memories could resurface, I took a deep breath and closed my robe, hiding the blemishes from my own sight. Without a second look at myself, I left the room and began in search of the hot spring.

Luckily, as I walked down the hallway, I found signs that directed me to the women's hot spring. I opened a large glass door and was met with the cool air of the night. The sky was so dark that, if there hadn't been tiny lamps lining the outdoor pathways, I definitely would have gotten lost. I followed a cobblestone path around a large wall that separated the men's and women's bathing areas, and finally I had reached my destination. Steam from the hot water filled the air, clouding me in a pleasant mist as I approached the water. Sakura had already gotten in, and she leaned her head back against the wall with her eyes closed.

"The water feels great," Sakura commented in an airy tone.

Sliding out of my robe, I quickly dipped myself into the pool, sighing as the warmth swirled around my skin. "Yeah, it does," I agreed, closing my eyes.

Other than the gentle lapping of the water against the sides of the walls and the chirping of crickets in the surrounding forest, it was silent for a long while. I was too busy relaxing to even mutter a sound, and I guessed that Sakura was feeling the same. After a while, however, Sakura finally broke the silence with a question. "Kaeda Sensei… how did you and Kakashi meet?"

Somewhat surprised by her inquiry, I peeked my eyes open to glance at her. Her emerald eyes stared back at me, sparkling with curiosity. I averted my gaze toward the sky as I sifted through all of my memories of the past, and I sighed deeply before I answered her. "Well, we first met at the Ninja Academy, age four, I believe," I began, smiling as I remembered little Kakashi. "He wore that stupid mask, even back then. But he was so cute; he was probably the smallest kid in our entire class."

Sakura laughed. "Kakashi as a little kid… I wish I could see that."

"Just imagine him exactly the way he is now—well, minus the Sharingan and headband over one eye—and just shrink the size down. He really hasn't changed all that much," I grinned. Sakura cooed at the thought and began to giggle. "He may have been the smallest," I continued, "but he definitely was the most talented. I'm the complete opposite."

"Really?" Sakura asked, seeming a bit surprised.

I nodded. "Actually, that's how Kakashi and I_ officially_ met. I was working on a clone technique, and my clone turned out kind of dead and sickly-looking. Some kids in our class started making fun of me because of it, and Kakashi, who had been training a few feet away, actually stuck up for me. Since the others knew that Kakashi was the best in the class, they backed off immediately. He offered to help me train after that, and throughout the rest of the school year, we trained together and became really good friends."

"Wow," Sakura breathed, "That's so strange. It's difficult to imagine you as an untalented ninja."

"Well," I interjected, "Naruto went through the same thing. He had absolutely no talent at first, but as the years passed, he trained hard to become a great ninja."

"Yeah, you're right," Sakura agreed. Her lips stretched into a small smile, probably because she was thinking about how far Naruto had come since his Academy years. Despite the irritated tone she often used when talking to or about Naruto, it was obvious that she really cared for him. She turned to me after a moment, and her expression made it evident that there was another question on her mind. "So, were you and Kakashi sensei in the same squad, then?"

I couldn't help but burst out laughing. She looked confused, so I began to explain it to her. "Kakashi graduated the Academy in his first year, at age five. I didn't end up graduating until I was about eight years old. Kakashi was already a Chunin by the time I had made Genin level."

"How did you keep in touch, then?" She asked, "With Kakashi taking on missions, and you stuck at the Academy, it must have been difficult to make time for each other."

"It was," I confirmed, "but we found ways to do it. A lot of the time, we would end up sneaking out late at night to hang out, or one of us would climb in through the other's bedroom window." I smirked to myself as I thought, _Kakashi _still _sneaks in through my window…_

Sakura smiled. "I can tell that you're still really close."

"He may be a perverted old man," I said, "but he's my best friend. I couldn't imagine life without him."

My voice trailed off as my mind flooded with thoughts and memories. Sakura's curiosity must have been satisfied, for she ceased questioning me and, instead, silence filled the night air. I leaned my head back to rest it on the side of the pool, gazing up at the millions of tiny stars twinkling brightly in the black sky. My brain subconsciously connected the spaces between the stars until an outline of my best friend's face and messy hair was all I could see.

"_Hey, Kae, what's wrong?"_

_I lifted my head from its resting place on top of my knees to meet Kakashi's gaze, wiping away the wall of tears that threatened to spill from my eyes. The boy's eyes, though almost completely concealed by his spiky hair falling over his ninja headband, were soft and sympathetic. When I saw the metal plate with Konoha's insignia etched into it, I could feel the anger and disappointment building up inside my small, seven-year-old body._

"_You wouldn't understand," I simply told him, leaning my head back against the trunk of the tree that I had been sitting against._

_Kakashi lowered himself into a seated position directly across from me, crossing his legs and folding his arms across his chest. "Try me."_

_Rolling my eyes at him, I wished that he could have just _known _what was making me so upset. Verbalizing my problems would be difficult, and I didn't want to violate the ninja code by crying._

"_You can tell me," he said in a soft voice with a smile evident in his dark eyes._

_After a moment, I sighed in defeat and told him in an almost inaudible whisper, "I'm a failure."_

"_You're not a failure," he disagreed._

"_I've failed to become a Genin three years in a row, Kakashi," I interrupted him, my voice raising as I started to lose control of myself. I clenched my fists so hard that I was surprised my nails digging into my skin hadn't caused me to draw blood. "My best friend made Chunin at the age of six, and at seven years old I couldn't even make Genin. I'm worthless."_

"_Don't say that," He said, scooting himself over so that he was sitting beside me. "You didn't pass the exam this year, so what? It just means that you have to work harder. Just because you weren't born with natural talent doesn't mean that you can't become a great ninja."_

_I tried to listen to what he was saying, but my bitterness prevented me from believing him. Noticing that the anger hadn't left my face, Kakashi wrapped his arm around my shoulders and smiled at me. "I'll help you train. I'll push you to be your best. Kae, I won't rest until I've convinced you that you _are _amazing." I opened my mouth to argue, but Kakashi stopped me by saying, "And I won't take no for an answer."_

It was all because of him. Because of Kakashi, I was able to overcome my own negative feelings about myself to grow stronger. It was because of his friendship that I was able to change into a person that works hard and never gives up. Without him… I would be nothing.

"I'm going to get out now," Sakura said, interrupting my thoughts, "before I get all pruny."

"Ok," I sighed, "I'll be out soon, too." When Sakura was out of sight, I looked up towards the stars and whispered, "Thank you, Kakashi."


	12. Twelve: Almost

Author's Note: Ahh, I'm sorry this is a little late... though, technically it's still Friday... hehe.  
Stuff just kept popping up and I didn't have time to get on the internet and upload this until now.  
Anyway, this one's got a bit of fluff, so hopefully that makes up for it. :)  
Thank you to Angel42497, BlackRose723, and Echo Uchiha for the amazing reviews on Chapter Ten. You guys rock!  
Reviews on this chapter would make me uber happy! :D

**Twelve: Almost**

When I exited the hot spring and had reunited with my matching robe and slipper set, I began walking in the direction of the resort building, following the rows of twinkling lamps that lined the paths. I pulled the doors open and was greeted by the familiar chilled hotel air that soothed my still burning skin. A shiver shot down my spine as my body struggled to adjust to the rapid change in temperature, and in my momentary spasm, I had almost crashed into one of the hotel employees.

The woman, who had simply dismissed my near collision with her, wore a smile on her full lips. "Dinner is ready, Miss. Allow me to escort you to the dining hall."

"Oh," I breathed, a bit surprised, "Alright then."

I followed her down the hall until we had reached a set of large double doors just before the lobby to the left. The woman pushed both of them open to reveal another room that matched the elegance of the rest of the place. When my eyes ceased examining the surroundings, and had actually focused on what had been placed on the dining table, my jaw dropped. A wide array of seafood, as well as bowls of rice, chicken, chopped up fruits and veggies, and bread, had been laid out to fill almost every inch of the giant wooden table. Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi had already seated themselves. "Enjoy your meal," said the woman as she latched both of the doors behind her.

I took the empty seat next to Kakashi, and, the moment I did so, Naruto immediately began piling helpings of food onto his plate. I smirked at his impatience, although I was impressed that he managed to contain himself until my arrival. Sakura rolled her eyes at the blonde boy as she situated her chopsticks in her hand and reached toward the sushi platter. Leaning toward Kakashi, I whispered, "A night at a fancy resort _and _a feast prepared just for us? Wow, Kakashi, I'm really impressed."

In my utter amazement, I hadn't noticed that his eyes were wide in shock. "I ordered the standard… just the standard dinner… and this is what they gave me…" After a heavy sigh, he whined, "I'm going to be broke."

I grasped a helping of steamed vegetables and dropped them onto my plate. "Quit complaining and just enjoy this amazing meal," I told him before taking a bite of my food, "If you have to sell your house, you can come live with me."

My comment brought a smile to the masked man's hidden lips. "Fair enough."

Much to my surprise, we somehow managed to finish the entire spread of food without leaving a single scrap on our plates. I'm sure it was mostly thanks to Naruto's enormous appetite. Leaning back in his chair and patting his belly with his hands, Naruto sighed, "I'm stuffed."

"Me too," Sakura agreed with a satisfied smile, placing her chopsticks on the small holder to the left of her plate.

"I'm glad you guys enjoyed it," Kakashi said with a slight hint of a pout.

I gave my sulky friend a reassuring pat on the back while beaming gratefully at him. He returned my gesture halfheartedly, trying (and failing) to look happy, despite his inevitable future poverty. "Well, I think we should get some sleep now," I suggested, "We've got another long day ahead of us."

"Yeah," Naruto and Sakura replied in unison while nodding. They each rose from their seats and began in the direction of the exit, thanking Kakashi for the meal along the way.

Before I could stand up to follow them, Kakashi had, like a bolt of lightning, disappeared from his seat beside me. It wasn't until I felt him place his hands on my shoulders that I realized he had teleported directly behind me, and, although I was a ninja of Jonin level, I couldn't keep myself from flinching at his sudden movement. He leaned down to place his lips mere inches away from my ear. "Meet me outside on the patio after Sakura falls asleep," was all he whispered.

I furrowed my eyebrows as I watched him nonchalantly shove his hands into his pockets as he walked out of the room. He was definitely a strange man. I didn't dwell on his odd behavior for more than a few seconds before dismissing it with a shrug of my shoulders as I left in search of my room.

Opening the door to my room, I noticed that the lighting was dim, only the flickering flames of a few candles on the nightstands illuminating the darkness. Sakura had already situated herself in one of the beds, her eyes closed and a blissful smile on her lips. "Comfortable?" I asked her while I pushed the door shut.

"I'm going to sleep like a log," she replied in a small, tired voice. I could tell that sleep was already pulling at her conscience, lulling her into its peaceful escape.

I advanced further into the room to kick off my slippers at the foot of the unoccupied bed before extinguishing the candles' flames with a forceful breath. The bed's heavy gravity pulled me into its warm embrace, engulfing me in a swirl of soft blankets and pillows, and I knew it was going to be difficult to pry myself away to fulfill Kakashi's request. In an attempt to keep myself awake long enough to do so, I broke the stillness of the room by grumbling, "Sleep well, Sakura."

I waited for a reply, but after a few moments of silence, I realized that Sakura had already fallen asleep. "That was quick," I whispered to myself while rolling out of bed. My legs, having tasted the comforting relief of bedtime, were heavy, unwilling to carry me to my destination. Forcing them to move, however, I slipped back into my slippers before tiptoeing to the door that led to the patio.

The air was much cooler without the steam from the hot springs to warm it. My body quivered as a gentle breeze drifted along my exposed skin, so I crossed my arms tightly over my chest in an attempt to combat it. I moved my eyes to the left to find Kakashi casually leaning against one of the wooden columns that supported the roof. He had changed out of his complementary robe and instead wore his Jonin pants and his black muscle shirt that attached to his mask.

"Naruto's already asleep too, huh?" I quietly asked, disrupting the tranquility of the night.

Kakashi turned his head to face me, his messy hair falling over his Sharingan eye. "You kidding?" he smiled through his mask, "Naruto fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow."

I advanced further outside to stand beside my best friend. "So," I sighed, "what's on your mind?"

"Nothing really," he simply answered.

I was a bit confused. "Then… why did you want me to meet you out here?"

Kakashi averted his gaze to the dimly lit garden area that faced the patio. "I just wanted a chance to hang out with you, that's all."

I didn't exactly know why, but hearing him say that made me really happy. My lips stretched into a small smile, and my heart fluttered in my chest. "Oh, alright."

After a few moments of silence, Kakashi turned to me again. "Let's go for a walk."

"Through the gardens?" I guessed.

His grey hair swayed as he nodded. He reached out his hand for me to take, and I immediately obliged. Our shoes scuffed against the rocky paths that weaved through the trees and flower bushes, and, despite the nighttime darkness, the view was incredible. A rainbow of colors surrounded us everywhere we ventured, and the fragrances of all the different plants swirled together in a pleasant aroma. Being a ninja, I got to travel into the wilderness often, so I had obviously seen my fair share of exotic vegetation. But there was something different about walking through a garden, something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

"Are you still worrying about Toshiro?" Kakashi asked.

The sound of his name brought me crashing back to reality; the reality that we hadn't found a single lead on the people who might have been planning to kidnap my student. Suddenly, my delight faded to a feeling of dejection. "Well, I wasn't until now," I replied.

"Good," Kakashi simply commented.

"Good?" I repeated, furrowing my eyebrows. _You just reminded me that one of my students is in danger and all you can say is "Good?"_

"You got a chance to relax for a while, which is a good thing," he explained to me, keeping his eyes on the path in front of him.

"Oh," I said softly, "yeah, I guess you're right."

"And it's all thanks to me and my noble gesture," Kakashi announced in a proud tone.

Rolling my eyes, I used by right elbow to give him a playful nudge against his shoulder. He stumbled over his feet and eventually toppled over into one of the flowerbeds. He landed on his butt with a muffled 'thud,' and I couldn't help but burst out laughing at the surprised expression he wore on his face. He hadn't been on the ground for more than a second before he swiftly hopped back up to his feet and dusted off his pants, shooting me a glare as he did so. "Is that how you're going to thank me? How rude."

"I'm sorry," I choked through my laughter, "but I really can't take you seriously when you have little pink flowers in your hair!"

Kakashi's eyes narrowed, crossing his arms over his chest. One of the buds fell from his hair as he moved. "I happen to think they're _beautiful._"

His defense only increased my amusement. I doubled over as I tried to stop the spasms in my gut and catch my breath. I laughed so hard that my sides began to hurt. I tried to take a few deep breaths, and in a matter of minutes I managed to slow my breathing enough to actually articulate. Returning to a normal, standing position, I fought the smile on my lips as I approached my glowering best friend. "Let me help you," I offered, reaching my hands upward to pluck the flowers from his hair. I placed them back in the bush that they had originally sprouted from, hoping that nobody would notice the difference.

"I'm not going to thank you," Kakashi frowned, his arms still crossed tightly over his chest.

"You are something else," I grinned, rolling my eyes at him. I grasped his hand in mine and pulled him along to continue our journey through the garden. When he stopped dragging his feet, I assumed that he had dropped his little charade for now. Rewarding his decision to quit pouting, I turned to him and finally said, "Thank you, Kakashi. It really was amazing of you to treat us like this."

He averted his eyes to lock with mine, and a grin enveloped his features. "I may be going broke, but it was definitely worth it."

I laughed. "You're not going broke."

"But if I do, does your offer still stand?" He asked, a hopeful glint in his eyes.

"Of course," I answered.

"And you'll cook me dinner every night?"

"Don't push it," I glared.

We followed the path until the foliage ended and the floral fragrance faded. The hotel was in sight, and, for some reason, I felt a jolt of disappointment shoot through my body. It meant that our night was probably coming to a close. "That was nice," I smiled, hoping my emotions would mirror my gesture.

"It was," Kakashi agreed.

I examined him as we approached the building. His facial features were masculine, having lost the fleshiness of childhood years. His muscles bulged underneath his form-fitting black shirt. His toned arms swayed slightly as he walked. I smiled at him, noting that he was no longer the young boy who had helped me through my depression so many years ago.

In my daze, I hadn't noticed a bed of rocks in my path. I walked straight into them, and though the hard mass had stopped my feet from continuing forward, my body kept advancing on. My eyes widened, and I inhaled a sharp breath of air. I reached my arms forward to break my fall, but before I could bear any weight on them, I felt something pulling me away.

The sudden swirling of my surroundings left me somewhat confused, but when I focused on Kakashi's face directly in front of mine, confusion fled away from me. I looked into his mismatched eyes, his gaze unwavering as he stared back at me. I could feel the slight tickle of his hair against my forehead as it fell over me, and, even through his mask, I could feel his warm breath against my skin. His arms cradled me just above the ground, and I noticed that I was actually gripping his shirt with mine. My face began to redden, and my mind raced as I frantically tried to figure out exactly what was happening.

I swore I saw him leaning closer. I swore I felt the pressure of his hands on my back harden. I swore I saw his eyes slowly falling close. And, despite the fact that my mind had decided to stop functioning, I think I let my eyes close. I think I lifted one of my hands toward the fabric of his mask. I think I even pulled him closer.

And then…

_Laughter._

Kakashi and I simultaneously jumped away from each other to examine the noise. In the distance, a group of young girls were entering the bathing area for a midnight dip in the hot spring. Their laughter filled the air, followed by the splashing of water as they all jumped in.

I couldn't bring myself to look at Kakashi, so I looked at the ground instead. My cheeks burned in embarrassment as I realized what happened. Kakashi cleared his throat nervously before saying, "We should get some sleep."

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah."

We walked back to our rooms in silence, and I was actually surprised when Kakashi pulled me into a goodnight hug. I slipped back into my room and crept toward my bed, cocooning myself in the blankets. All I could think about was what had just happened. Well… what had _almost _happened. I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming, and I was somewhat disappointed when I realized that this was, in fact, reality. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that Kakashi and I had almost…

_Kissed._

There was only one thing that shocked me even more than the _almost-kiss_: the fact that, as I thought about it, I couldn't stop smiling about it.


	13. Thirteen: Corruption

Author's Note: Gah, I feel like I'm getting behind on writing this story. :(  
I've got lots of homework lately. It's very annoying. BUT I will try really hard to make sure I get the chapters up on time. :)  
I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter! I can tell you want them to kiss... hahaha. I can tell you that it's soon. Within... 3-4 more chapters. Hehe.  
Thanks to Evalyd Yamazaki, BlackRose723, Angel42497, and Echo Uchiha for the amazing reviews! They made me happy, as always. :D  
Anyway, enjoy this chapter, and if you would be so kind as to review, that would just make my day. :)  
I notice I use a lot of smiley faces in my notes... Hopefully that's not annoying! :) :D :P :O

**Thirteen: Corruption**

I awoke the next morning to the brightness of the sun casting its warmth through the windows. My eyelids fluttered open, immediately squinting against the blinding light, and I groaned as I rolled over onto my stomach to peer at the digital clock on the nightstand. The pattern of the flashing neon lights on the screen told me that it was time to get up and prepare for the day, so I forced myself out from underneath the blankets despite the fact that my body yearned for more sleep. I ignored the screams of my legs and feet, remembering that I had a mission to complete and a student to protect.

Sakura was still passed out in her bed, her usually lovely pink hair knotted and tangled from tossing and turning throughout the night. Smiling at her, I decided to let her sleep a little longer. I retrieved my clothes from the storage unit on the other end of the hall and took them with me to the bathroom. I quietly pulled the door shut before tossing my garments to the floor so I could splash some cold water on my face. The instant that the water collided with my skin, I could feel my body becoming energized and awakened. I stood there for a few moments, simply staring into the mirror and watching the droplets as they glided down my cheeks and dripped off of my chin. "Today, I will find those bastards," I told myself, "and I will make sure get what they deserve."

I quickly replaced the peach-colored robe that I was still wearing with my black Jonin uniform I had abandoned the previous night. The fabric felt rough against my skin, a drastic change from the soft material that lay in a pile at my feet. After rolling my sleeves up to the elbows, I slipped into my green vest and zipped it up halfway. There were complementary toothbrushes on the countertop, still sealed in their original packages, as well as other toiletries. I grasped one of them and ripped the seal to extract it, turning on the faucet to wet the bristles as I did so. I squirted some toothpaste onto the brush before gliding it over my grimy teeth, a minty sensation filling my mouth.

After I had finished, I rinsed my mouth and put the toothbrush back into its package. I was going to want one for the next day, and I had stupidly forgotten to grab one from home. I put my hair into a messy bun before taking the toothbrush and paste in my hands and exiting the bathroom. Luckily, there was some extra space in one of my bags, so I quickly shoved the items inside and latched it shut before attaching my holsters to my pants.

Sakura must have heard me, for I heard a tiny groan and a faint sound of crackling as she stretched her body. "Morning, Sakura," I greeted the girl, "It's almost time for us to be leaving. Don't take too long in the bathroom, ok?"

The pink-haired girl nodded sleepily before rolling off of the mattress. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, yawning as she trudged past me to grab her things and proceed to the restroom.

I took my headband from the shelf it resided on and immediately shielded my forehead with the metal plate. I yanked the fabric to form a tight knot, enjoying the sense of satisfaction I got whenever I heard the sound of the friction between the cloth. My ensemble was complete when I slid my feet into my black sandals. As I waited for Sakura to finish getting ready, I plodded over to the other end of the room to gaze out the large glass doors that separated me from the outside world. My eyes roamed across the horizon, eventually falling on the garden, and my eyes widened in shock as I remembered what had happened the last night.

It all came back to me. Kakashi… He held me so much closer than I had ever been held, so close that I could feel his breath tickling my skin. What we had _almost _done… the thought was revolting, yet strangely exhilarating. As I found myself wondering what it would have felt like, I mentally slapped myself. _Nothing happened, _I told myself, _he caught me before I fell, and that was it. Nothing more…_

But if that really was all that happened, then why did the thought of seeing Kakashi again make me nervous?

A creak of the door hinges caused me to whirl myself around. Sakura, who was surprised by my sudden movement, furrowed her eyebrows as she made her way to grab her belongings. "What's wrong, Kaeda Sensei?" she asked me as she began tying her red headband around the top of her head.

_Smooth._

"N-Nothing," I quickly replied, stepping away from the doorway to approach her, "are you about ready?"

She gave me another skeptical look before stepping into her knee-high sandals. "Sure," she finally answered.

We met Naruto and Kakashi in the lobby. I felt my chest tighten and my heart begin pounding within my chest when I saw him, and I knew that the rest of the mission was going to be terribly awkward between us. I avoided eye contact with him, focusing instead on the ground in front of me, and I subconsciously held my breath when he walked past me. I was surprised, however, when I felt a hand rest on my shoulder. "Good morning, Kae," he said to me.

I lifted my eyes hesitantly, wondering if what I had just happened was actually just a figment of my imagination. I saw his hand slide off of my shoulder as he continued past me to approach the front counter, and, as I moved my gaze further up, I saw him looking at me for a split second before he turned his head to face the woman at the front desk. "G-good morning," I managed to croak in a voice so quiet that I wasn't sure he had heard it.

I examined him as he conversed with the employee. I tried to find something about him that seemed a bit off, but I couldn't. He seemed perfectly normal, or at least as normal as he could have possibly been. To say the least, I was a bit confused. How was it that he could take the previous night so calmly while I had just spent half of my morning obsessing over it?

I hated him for it.

Waving at the employee, Kakashi turned on his heel and began approaching Naruto, Sakura, and I. I silently cursed myself when a nervous jolt shot through my body like an electric shock. "I just asked the woman at the counter about the men that you had seen, Kae," My eyes widened at the sound of my name. My heart began to race when his eyes met mine. I must have looked awfully stupid.

Kakashi continued before I had a chance to stutter something incoherent in response, "She said that there is another town a few miles East of here. Apparently it's riddled with gangs and criminals, so there's a good chance that we'll find some useful information there."

"Alright then," Naruto said in his usual determined tone, "Let's do this!"

Exiting the tranquility of the small town, we immediately ascended to the treetops to begin our travels. The morning air was surprisingly warm against my face, or perhaps it was my embarrassment that made my face hot. I couldn't quite tell. Either way, it felt good to be on the road again. Kakashi took the lead this time, while Sakura, Naruto, and I followed closely behind him.

The trip to the next town was surprisingly short; we had arrived after only thirty minutes. Lowering ourselves to the ground, we began to follow the trail of dead grass that led into the village, earning strange looks from random passers-by. I couldn't help but notice an eerie atmosphere. The smoke from peoples' lit cigarettes clouded the town in a dense fog, and the smell of alcohol lingered in the air. The buildings were rundown, obviously not following updated building codes and regulations. The inhabitants shared the same rough exterior with their ragged clothing, tattooed skin, and matted hair. Manual labor had kept their physiques looking strong and powerful, yet their faces appeared tired and angry. Elders and orphans begged for food, money, anything at all that they could get. My heart sank in my chest. What terrible lives these people lived.

"Whoa," I heard Naruto say softly as his ocean eyes examined the scene, "Kakashi Sensei, what happened here?"

Kakashi sighed, wrenching his eyes away from the disastrous sight. "It happened many years ago," he began, "During the Third Great Shinobi War, Iwagakure attempted to destroy Konoha. Iwagakure was winning, and Leaf Ninja forces were being pushed back into the Land of Fire. We managed to gain the upper hand by destroying the Kannabi Bridge, which meant Iwa's line of supply had been cut off. What we didn't know, however, that a village inside the Land of Fire—_this _village—had previously formed a secret alliance with the enemy land and prepared to attack the already weakened platoon on their return to Konoha."

Naruto and Sakura listened intently as Kakashi spoke.

"The village was destroyed in the battle, and, due to their traitorous actions, neither Konoha nor the other neighboring villages attempted to help the survivors rebuild their fallen town. With the government's order crushed to pieces, all hell broke loose. The strong overpowered the weak, stealing all they had and leaving them to starve in the streets. The town actually looks better than it did all those years ago, but it's obvious that people are still suffering from the corruption that still remains."

"That's terrible," Sakura frowned.

"If life is so terrible here, then why don't the people just go somewhere else?" Naruto asked.

"It's hard to start a new life somewhere else when you have no money," I answered him, "those who are the victims of thievery are left with nothing, keeping them trapped here with no way to get out. Thieves won't leave because they have means of acquiring money without working. It's a vicious cycle that never ends."

"And this is all because of something that happened a long time ago," Sakura murmured, "It isn't fair that these people should have to live like this."

I agreed with her. Most of the people who were involved in the treason had probably been killed in the battle, meaning that a lot of the current inhabitants were innocent. A life like this was a fate worse than death, and I didn't think it was right to allow it to go on. But, because of Konoha laws, ninja weren't allowed to interfere, meaning I had to witness this atrocity without being able to do a thing about it.

It made me sick.

"Anyway," Kakashi started, breaking the dismal silence that had fallen over us, "We should really start investigating now."

Naruto, Sakura, and I nodded our heads in agreement.

"We should form teams of two," He suggested.

"I'll go with Kaeda Sensei," Sakura offered.

"Hey, no fair!" Naruto whined, "You got Kaeda Sensei yesterday!"

"It's good to know I'm wanted, guys. Thanks," Kakashi pouted, his eyes drooping even more than they usually did.

I had to admit that, although I still felt a bit awkward around Kakashi, the group's usual goofiness seemed to help relieve my discomfort. I actually laughed at my best friend's sulky expression, and, for the first time that day, I wasn't electrocuted by the look in his eyes as he glanced at me.

The two teenagers were still bickering about the teams when Kakashi spoke. "Naruto, why don't you just come with me. Let the girls do whatever it is girls do."

"Fine," Naruto huffed, shoving his hands in his pockets as he trudged toward his sensei's side.

"We'll take the East side of town and you two take the West," Kakashi instructed, "Let's meet back here in two hours to discuss our findings."

Sakura and I agreed to the terms of the investigation before the groups split in two directions. We walked down the dirt path that led between rows of small shops and eateries, earning strange looks from the town's inhabitants along the way. I could understand their confusion. They probably hadn't seen a Leaf ninja since the war all those years ago. I tried not pay attention to their stares, and instead focused on finding any sort of suspicious activity.

But that proved to be difficult, considering just about everything in this town seemed suspicious.

"So, Kaeda Sensei," Sakura said, breaking the silence. If she was going to make small talk, I just hoped and prayed that she didn't mention anything about this morning. It was the last thing I wanted to talk about at the moment. "What was with the weird behavior this morning?"

Of course.

"What?" I asked, acting puzzled by what she meant.

"You know," she accused, "don't try to deny it."

I rolled my eyes. "No, I don't know. And I'm not denying anything."

"You were acting all jumpy and nervous," she explained to me, a hint of annoyance in her voice as she started becoming impatient with my less-than-satisfying responses, "Especially around—"

Suddenly, a high-pitched scream filled the air, causing my eyes to dart in the direction it came from. In front of a building that appeared to be a grocery store, a large, bulky man held a small boy by his shaggy, unkempt hair. The boy carried a small paper bag in his arms, only to have it ripped away from his grasp by the man who captured him. I could see tears beginning to glide down the boy's cheeks as he kicked and screamed and begged the man not to steal his food, but the man didn't care. He pulled back on the boy's hair even harder and _laughed _when the boy cried out in pain.

I tried to follow Konoha's law. I tried to just look away and ignore it. I tried not to let the boy's bloodshot eyes and bony arms and legs get to me. I really tried, but I just couldn't. My hands formed fists and my jaw clenched as my blood began to boil. I could see the man raising his knee to strike the poor boy, so I sprinted, leaving Sakura behind.

I made it quickly enough to stop the man's knee with my right arm. In a split second, I had managed capture his left arm, which held the grocery bag, in a hold that gave me full control. At the same time, I used my other hand to pull out a kunai and place the blade against his throat. "Release the boy," I growled into his ear.

I could sense the evil smirk the bastard had on his dirty face. "And what if I don't?"

Narrowing my eyes, I shifted my weight a bit to put more pressure on the man's trapped arm. The man, obviously caught off guard, let out a loud, painful grunt. Without meaning to, he let go of the boy's hair and, at the same time, let the paper bag he had stolen to fall to the dirt. Sakura, who had caught up with me, caught the boy in her arms before he could stumble to the ground.

Now that the boy was out of harm's way, I could get serious. Using the control I had over the man's pressure points, I forced him into a brick wall, smashing his head against it in the process. The man released another loud cry, cursing wildly at me, and struggled against my hold. Little did he know, I was an _expert_ in joint manipulation.

"You coward," I spat at him, pressing harder against his pressure points, "stealing is bad enough, but from a _child_?"

I whirled him around so I could see him and give him a proper punch to the face. Maybe I was going a bit overboard, but I was so disgusted by what I had just witnessed that I didn't really care. When I saw his face, however, my fist stopped just before making contact.

"Sakura," I called to my pink-haired partner, "this is the guy."


	14. Fourteen: Interrogation

Author's Note: Woot! Got all my homework done today so I can hopefully get the next chapter done this weekend. :D  
Oh, and I kept forgetting to do this, but I wanted to give a shout out to Moonlit917. If you guys haven't read her stories _Remind Me _and _Remember Me, _you really need to. They are hilarious! And she dedicated a chapter to me because I love Green Day and understood a reference she made in one of the chapters. XD But yeah. You should read those stories. They're great. :)  
Thank you to Echo Uchiha, Angel42497, BlackRose723, and Evalyd Yamazaki for the reviews on chapter thirteen! :)  
Reviews on this chapter would be amazing! Your reviews always make me want to write more and more than I already do. :D  
Enjoy!

**Fourteen: Interrogation**

I didn't know how I could have missed it. His short, spiky hair was the same dark color, his body was large and muscular, and the entire lengths of his arms and legs were wrapped in bandages. He might as well have had a giant flashing neon sign above his head reading, "Hey! Look at me!" It was _that_ obvious. Maybe it was rage that had clouded my perception, but either way, I should have recognized him the moment I laid eyes on him.

Still maintaining control of his arm, I forced him into an alleyway that was, conveniently, located to the left of the grocery store. "Make sure the boy is ok," I commanded Sakura, "treat any wounds he may have, and buy him some fresh groceries. When you're done, escort him home, and make sure he's safe."

"Yes, Sensei," Sakura swiftly replied.

Once we had advanced far enough into the dark passage, I shoved the man from my grasp and landed a kick to the back of his knees to send him staggering to the ground. Before he had a chance to get up, I formed a few hand seals and, in a low voice, called out, "Earth Style: Restraining Earth Jutsu."

The rocky ground beneath the man shifted to wrap tightly around his wrists and ankles, instantly solidifying upon completion. There was no room for his hands and feet to wriggle free, and I couldn't help but snicker as he desperately tried and failed to escape. I had him right where I wanted him, and it was time to interrogate.

"Why did you attack my squad the other day?" I immediately asked him.

"Let me go!" He demanded, dodging the question.

"Answer my questions, and _maybe _I will," I glared at him, "Now why did you attack my squad?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he snapped, "I don't even know who you are!"

"Don't play dumb with me!" I growled.

I repeated the question once more, and when the man still didn't answer, I sifted through my weapon's holster for a special kind of weapon that I had made specifically for interrogations. Opening a compartment in my pouch, I gripped the kunai that I wanted in my hand. I let the metal blade slowly scrape against the rest of my weapons as I extracted it, letting the sinister sound echo against the brick walls that surrounded us. If he wasn't going to talk willingly, I was going to have to force him to. I ran the sharpened blade across the back of the man's neck, letting it just barely graze the sensitive skin. "So, which one are you, Ichiro, or Jiro?"

"I don't know what you're—"

The man stopped mid-sentence to let out a loud cry as I pressed the blade a bit harder, piercing his skin. Blood began to trickle out of his new wound, running down either side of his neck and dripping off of his Adam's apple. I crouched down beside him, placing my lips just a few inches away from his ear. "If you don't start telling me the truth," I whispered, "I _promise _you, you'll be in so much pain you'll be _begging_ for me to kill you."

The man let out a small laugh. "You wouldn't kill me."

"Oh yeah?" I raised my eyebrows at him, "And why's that?"

"Killing without reason will get a shinobi in a great deal of trouble." The grin on his face was one of confidence. _Overconfidence. _I didn't like it one bit.

It was true that mindless killing was against Konoha law, and breaking that law could result in imprisonment and even death. But the laws of Konoha were less concrete in a village that was considered traitorous. Even though I had previously expressed empathy toward this village's situation, I decided to use it to my advantage in my interrogation. "Konoha no longer affiliates with this village," I told him, "Hell, I'd probably even get _praised _for killing scum like you."

"You think I have some vital information," he responded contemptuously, "so killing me would be illogical if you ever wanted to hear it."

I sliced the blade through the man's shirt to create a long cut along the length of his back. The man shouted in intense pain as it slowly tore through his skin, clenching his fists tightly and squirming in an attempt to escape the sting of the knife. When he finally quieted down and quick, ragged breaths replaced his screams, I gripped the man's chin with my fingers, forcing him to look up at me. "Do you see that girl with the pink hair?" I asked him. Sakura could be seen just twenty feet away using a medical ninjutsu on the young, shaggy-haired boy's fragile body.

The man's eyes flashed to the side for a moment as he struggled to breathe.

Without waiting for his reply, I continued with a sinister smile, "She's a medical ninja. She'll keep you alive as long as I need her to."

I managed to detect a flicker of fear in his dark eyes before he concealed his emotions once more behind his tough exterior. Smirking, I realized I was finally getting to him. "So, which is it? Are you Ichiro, or Jiro?"

He sighed exasperatedly. "I don't—"

I placed the kunai against the front of his neck, tempting him to speak and save his own life.

"Alright!" He shouted, squirming away from the blade, "I'm Ichiro!"

Satisfied that he had finally cooperated with me, I pulled the kunai away from the man's throat, earning a relieved sigh from Ichiro. I rose to my feet and walked around the man, peering outside the alleyway at Sakura and the little boy. Sakura helped him to his feet and ruffled his shaggy hair, and he smiled coyly as she did so. He looked better—more _alive_—than he had before. The two then walked into the grocery store to buy some fresh food. "Why did you and your brother attack my squad?" I repeated my first question, hoping for a better reply.

"We're poor," he answered, "we steal from others to survive. You just happened to cross our paths—"

Another sharp cry filled the air after I whipped the kunai into the man's back. I whirled myself around, narrowing my eyes, and advanced toward him. The knife just barely missed his spine. "I _told _you that I want the truth!" I shouted at him, angrily gripping the kunai handle and ripping the blade out of his skin. His body quivered as the pain surged through his body and blood dripped to form a red pool underneath him.

"Alright," the man choked through his ragged breaths, "I'm sorry, I'll tell you the truth."

"Good," I said, twirling the kunai around my fingertips. I hoped that the whizzing sound of the knife slicing the air would remind him of the pain he would suffer if he lied again.

"I wasn't lying when I said my brother and I are poor," he started, "so, yes, we do have to steal from others to survive. But one day, some guy came up to us and said that he would pay us 10,000 Ryo if we could get information on that boy of yours. _Isami, _I think it was. We took the job because we needed the money. We had nothing against you, personally. I'm sorry, please," Ichiro bowed his head as if pleading for my forgiveness.

"What did he want to know about the boy?" I inquired.

"He just wanted my brother and I to test his abilities. He wanted to know more about his kekkei genkai, but he obviously didn't want to do the dirty work himself. He told us what the boy looked like and then sent us off in search of him. We had been searching for almost a week when we finally came across you guys. The boy matched the description we had been given, so we tried to provoke him to unleash his power."

I stopped spinning the weapon. "Who gave you the job?"

"I don't know," he answered.

I slashed the kunai through both of the man's bandaged arms. He cried out once again, and his body became so exhausted from pain and light-headedness that his arms and legs could no longer hold himself up. He let himself fall into the pool of his own blood, writhing in pain. "I want the truth!" I demanded.

"That was the truth, I swear!" He insisted, tears squeezing out of his tightly closed eyes, "I'd never seen him before in my life! He didn't tell me his name or where he was from! I know _nothing _about him!"

He had completely dropped his original tough-guy facade, letting his tears flow freely from his eyes, and that suggested that he was, in fact, telling the truth. I was still, of course, unsatisfied with the answer, but there wasn't much I could do if he truly didn't know the man. Sighing, I asked instead, "What did the man look like?"

"P-Please," Ichiro begged, his lower lip quivering, "can you get that medical ninja now?" His eyelids began to droop, and he was so weak that he couldn't raise his voice above a rough whisper.

"Not until you tell me what he looked like," I answered.

"I'm going t-to die," he sniveled.

"Then hurry and answer my question!" I threw the kunai into the dirt just a few centimeters away from his hand.

Ichiro flinched violently. Whimpering, he managed to muster the strength to cooperate with my demand. "I didn't see his face. He had a long black jacket with a high collar, and it covered most of his face. His long black hair covered his eyes. He was kind of short—shorter than you—and he had a really deep voice that didn't seem to match his appearance."

I could sense that his consciousness was slowly drifting away. His neck fell limp and his face fell into the dirt. I crouched down, grabbed him by his short, black hair, and lifted his head up so his drooping eyes could look at me. "Where did he come from? Where is he now?" From the looks of it, I was running out of time, and I still needed answers.

"I don't know… he never told me anything about him… he left the village after my brother and I gave him the information he wanted…"

A small glimmer of hope caused my heart to flip inside my chest. "Which way did he go?" I quickly asked.

"I don't know…"

"Damnit!" I shouted at him, "At least _try _to remember!"

"I remember him leaving," he murmured, "but I didn't see him do it."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

Through heaving breaths, the man replied, "He always… seemed to appear… out of… nowhere… and disappear just as… fast…"

Ichiro's eyes fell closed, and I knew that his conscious had finally slipped away. Sighing, I released the jutsu that held him captive and rose to my feet. Turning on my heel, I exited the dark alleyway, leaving the unconscious Ichiro behind. I thought about what he had said. _"He always seemed to appear out of nowhere and disappear just as fast." _It almost seemed like a riddle.

Even though the air of the city was clouded with cigarette smoke, the sun was still blinding in comparison after being in that alleyway. I squinted against the light, and when my eyes had finally adjusted, I saw Sakura approaching quickly from down the street. "I'm back, Kaeda Sensei!" she panted.

"The boy's alright, then?" I presumed.

Sakura nodded. "So, what happened with—"

She paused, looking past me into the alley, and her eyes widened at what she saw. "What the," she breathed, "Kaeda Sensei, did you _kill _him?"

I laughed at her, patting her on the shoulder, and she raised her eyebrows at me in response. "I didn't kill him," I assured her.

"Well, it sure looks like you did," Sakura commented with a grimace.

"Don't worry," I sighed, "None of his wounds were fatal. I used a special kunai that was coated in a powerful narcotic that induces terrible pain, as if caused by a lethal wound, and light-headedness, as if from loss of blood. It knocks them out after about fifteen-to-twenty minutes. All I did was make him _think_ that I was killing him, and he told me everything I wanted to know. He'll wake up in a few hours."

Sakura tilted her head to one side. "Why didn't you just use a truth-serum?"

"First of all, they're _really _expensive, unless you're a member of the Intelligence Unit," I explained to her, "second, they're just not quite as _fun _as my method."

Sakura laughed, rolling her eyes at my slightly sadistic comment. "He must have been terrified," she guessed.

"There's a reason I told you to stay with the kid, Sakura," I told her, urging her to follow me down the street to continue our investigation, "Interrogations can get _really _ugly."


	15. Fifteen: Hope

Author's Note: Bah. I miss high school. Well, let me rephrase that: I miss all the breaks and snow days from high school.  
The weather here is terrible. Some of the walkways aren't even plowed, so I had to tread through snow just to make it to class. :'(  
Meh, oh well. On the plus side, I know how to write my name in _katakana. _**ハイリー** :D  
Thank you to Echo Uchiha, Evalyd Yamazaki, Angel42497, and MikaUchiha666 for the reviews! You guys rock! :)  
Enjoy this chapter, and review? *puppy dog eyes*

**Fifteen: Hope**

We continued down the streets of the rundown city as I explained to Sakura what Ichiro had told me during my interrogation. Her face scrunched in confusion at the man's last words, _"He always seemed to appear out of nowhere and disappear just as fast." _I told her not to worry too much about the enigmatic statement, and to instead focus on questioning more people about the mysterious man that Ichiro had described. Perhaps then, with more information, we would be able to figure out exactly what his statement could have meant.

We wandered throughout the town for about an hour, asking random passers-by, storeowners, and beggars if they had seen a short man dressed in a black cloak with long black hair. The people often replied that they hadn't seen the man at all, but some recall feeling some sort of eerie sensation—like a ghost or some sort of hidden presence—on the day that he was supposedly in town. Whether or not those feelings were directly related to the man's attendance, I didn't quite know, and that, to me, was incredibly frustrating.

I wanted—no, I _needed—_better answers.

Since the smoke-filled air was so hot and dry, Sakura and I decided to stop for a quick drink at a small drink stand. We each ordered a tall glass of iced tea, taking our seats at the counter as we did so. "It seems like no one in this town has seen the man other than the twins who attacked your squad," Sakura said while clicking her nails against the countertop.

"I know," I agreed, furrowing my eyebrows, "It doesn't make any sense. Realistically, someone else _should _have seen him, at least for a second."

"Could he have been using some sort of camouflage jutsu to hide his appearance from everyone?" Sakura suggested.

I thought about it for a moment. A camouflage jutsu certainly would explain the reason that nobody has seen the man, but it just didn't quite fit. "If he was," I explained, "then the twins wouldn't have been able to see him either. Since Ichiro described his appearance, he's obviously seen him."

Sakura pursed her lips. "Unless he lied about it."

"I don't think he was lying," I said to her, "I mean, he recalled the details of his appearance without faltering for even a second. If he had been lying, he probably would have had to stop and think about what to say."

"That's true," the pink-haired girl agreed, "I just can't think of any other explanations."

"Don't worry," I sighed, "I can't either."

The man behind the counter handed us our drinks, each with a lemon wedge and a curly straw, and Sakura and I immediately thanked him. I grasped the lemon and squeezed the sour juice into my tea before swirling the straw around to mix the flavors together. When I finally took a drink, I sighed as the cool liquid soothed my dry throat. Without even releasing the straw from my lips, I breathed, "Delicious."

Sakura nodded while continuing to drain her own glass.

We had each finished off our tea in less than a minute. I offered to pay for Sakura's drink, so I rummaged through one of my holsters for some money. Pulling 200 Ryo from the bag, I handed it to the man and thanked him again before twirling around in my seat. "Alright," I sighed, "time to continue searching for the short, black-haired guy wearing a long cloak."

"Don't you mean, 'time to continue _questioning_ people about the short, black-haired guy wearing a long cloak?'" Sakura corrected.

"Yeah, yeah," I said with a wave of my hand, "You know what I meant."

"Excuse me," I heard a soft voice say from another direction. Turning my head to the voice's source, I came across a young woman with long brown hair that was knotted and tangled from not having been washed. Golden orbs peeked out from underneath her bangs, and her long, loose-fitting dress was ripped and covered in dirt. Her bare feet were angled inwards, her thin arms were held tightly against her chest, and she fidgeted nervously with her fingers. She was obviously very shy, so she must have had something important on her mind if she was speaking up to us.

"Yes?" I inquired, urging the woman to continue with whatever it was that she wanted to say.

She cleared her throat anxiously before speaking. "I… I couldn't help but overhear that you're searching for someone."

My ears perked up at what she said. Had we finally found someone who had actually seen the strange man that Ichiro described to me? It almost seemed too good to be true. "That's right," I nodded, "Have you seen him?"

"Yes," she responded, "I believe I have."

A relieved smile spread across my face. "Great," I commented, "Could you tell us a little bit about your encounter with him?"

"It was quite strange, actually," she answered quietly, averting her eyes to the dirt, "I was looking for my younger brother—he had run off after getting into an argument with our father—and as I was walking, I saw a flicker of movement in the distance. I turned to look at it, but saw nothing. At first I thought I was just imagining it, but later, after I had found my brother and we were returning home, I saw it once more. I looked for it again, but there was still nothing there. This confused me, so I walked backwards a few paces to test whether or not I had actually seen anything. Again, I saw a dark flicker, but this time it lasted long enough for me to see that it was a man. He looked like the man you had just described. He was short, he wore a long black coat, and he had really long, black hair. I couldn't see his face, but I could tell that he was talking to two other men, who could obviously tell that he was there."

Ichiro's last words replayed in my mind. _"He always seemed to appear out of nowhere and disappear just as fast."_

"It's almost like," the girl paused for a moment to come up with the words she wanted to say, "Like I had to be standing in just the right place to see him."

"How strange," Sakura muttered under her breath.

"And you're absolutely sure you saw him?" I asked her, "You're sure that you weren't just seeing things?"

"I'm positive," The woman assured me. "My brother saw him as well. If you'd like, I can find him so he can tell you himself."

"That won't be necessary," I told her, "We believe you. Now, besides the immediate phenomenon regarding his appearance, did you notice anything particularly strange about him?"

The woman thought for a moment, lowering her gaze to the ground and lifting her hands upward to cover her mouth as she did so. She subconsciously tapped her finger against her chin as she sifted through her memories of that day. I desperately hoped that, when she finally spoke, she would say something useful to our investigation. "I don't know if this is necessarily relevant_,_" she began, "but I noticed that there were at least three other men watching him at all times from different areas of the village. They maintained their distances, but I could tell that they were with him by the way that they were constantly checking up on him out of the corners of their eyes."

"What did these men look like?" I immediately asked her.

"They were all tall and muscular. They each wore ripped and dirty clothing like the rest of the villagers here, but each of them had a tiny silver radio plugged into their ears. That's how I could tell that they were different."

"Excellent," I beamed, "The information you've provided will certainly come in handy as we continue to investigate. Thank you."

The woman smiled gently, her golden eyes sparkling even in this dusky town. "I'm glad I could help."

"You're really perceptive," Sakura pointed out to her, "I'm really impressed."

Sakura's remark caused the woman's expression to liven. "Thank you," she said shyly, her cheeks burning a light pinkish color, "My friends would say the same thing when we played 'Ninja' as children. In fact, my dream as a child was to move to Konoha and become a real shinobi."

"Why didn't you?" Sakura wondered.

The woman sighed, lifting her head to gaze at the sky. "My family has always been very poor. We just didn't have the money to move, especially not to a large village like Konoha," she turned back to us, and gracing her features was a smile that was not forced, but genuine, "It's ok, though. I still train on my own every day, and I help the people in this village whenever I can. Someday, though, I know that I will make my dream a reality. Someday I will become a Ninja, and then I'll be able to support my family and help people all over the world. I will never give up."

I couldn't help but smile at her. Her determination was inspiring, and, though I had only just met her, I knew in my heart that she would certainly overcome all of life's obstacles and achieve her goals. It was the way that her expression glowed amidst the darkness; the way hope sparkled in her eyes despite her past. Her presence in this depressing town was refreshing, to say the very least.

"Anyway," the woman sighed, "I'll let you continue your investigation now. I should be getting home anyway."

With a wave of her hand, she turned on her heel to start in the opposite direction. "Wait," I called to her."

She turned back to face me. "Yes?"

"What's your name?"

The same genuine, innocent smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "My name is Mai," she answered, "Mai Murakami."

I watched her walk off into the distance until she had disappeared into the crowd of villagers swarming the streets. _Mai Murakami. _I would remember that name.

"So," Sakura sighed, forcing me back to reality, "should we continue our search?"

I looked toward the sky, noting the sun's position was lower in the grey sky. "Actually, it's probably time we headed back to the village gate to meet Naruto and Kakashi. We've gathered a lot of information."

Nodding in agreement, Sakura followed me back down the streets we had previously traveled. The smoke dissipated as we approached the exit, and it was a pleasant feeling; I felt like I had forgotten what it was like to breathe clean air, and I found myself inhaling it like a drug into my lungs, which had craved the uncontaminated oxygen. After relaxing for a few minutes, Naruto and Kakashi could be seen approaching from a distance. Squinting my eyes to see through the grey clouds that surrounded them, I thought I saw Kakashi carrying someone over his shoulder. "Look what I found," Kakashi announced.

"Hey!" Naruto shouted, "I helped!"

When they had stepped out of the smoke clouds, I recognized the man slung over Kakashi's shoulders to be Jiro, Ichiro's twin brother. The fact that his arms and legs dangled lifelessly suggested that he had been knocked out. "So, you found one too, huh," I smiled to Kakashi.

"Yeah, I thought we could take him to the interrogation unit back in Konoha," Kakashi suggested.

I narrowed my eyes. Taking the twins to the interrogation unit _was _a good idea. Damned Kakashi was always smarter than me, and it never failed to make me jealous.

"Hey, Kaeda Sensei," Naruto called out, "Didn't you just say you found the other twin? Well, where is he?"

And damned Naruto was always one to call me out on my mistakes. It never failed to make me want to _strangle him._

"I, uh… left him in the village," I responded, averting my eyes away from theirs.

"What?" Naruto yelled, "Why'd you do that? You could have taken him captive!"

"Naruto!" Sakura hollered at the blonde, grabbing him by the collar of his jacket, "Kaeda Sensei's not _stupid! _She interrogated him first, and she got a lot of information out of him! Sheesh!"

"Well, I didn't know that!" Naruto defended, shielding himself from Sakura's wrath.

"Alright you two," Kakashi groaned, interrupting their quarrel. He then turned to me, "Kae, it's good that you got some information out of one of the twins. That way, we at least have some immediate information that we can relay to the Hokage when we return to the village. So don't worry about leaving him in the village." I could tell that he was smiling under that mask of his, and I couldn't help but return the gesture.

"Should we head back to Konoha, then?" I asked.

"It's only been two days," Kakashi replied, "but yes, I think we should. That way, we can get Jiro here to the interrogation unit as quickly as possible. It will take until sundown to get back to the village, so, in that time, you can tell me all the information you've gathered so we can begin analyzing it."

I nodded in agreement.

"Well then, what're we waiting for," Naruto grinned, "Let's get going!"

With that said, we leapt into the treetops to begin our travels.


	16. Sixteen: Return to Konoha

Author's Note: So, I have a lot of homework this weekend, which I am totally NOT excited about. -.-  
The good news: Spring break is only a week away. :D  
So, hopefully I can get the next chapter up on time, but if I don't then I am really sorry. College is annoying. :/  
Anyway, thank you so much to Echo Uchiha, BlackRose723, and Evalyd Yamazaki for the amazing reviews! You all made me smile. :)  
Enjoy this chapter, and review, if you would be so kind. :)

**Sixteen: Return to Konoha**

The calmness of the forest was refreshing after the being in the depressing rundown village. Birds chirped from within the trees, and a gentle breeze swirled through the warm air as we leapt from branch to branch high above the ground. I took the lead in the formation, Naruto and Sakura followed behind me, and in the back was Kakashi, the unconscious Jiro still slung over his shoulders. Our shoes scuffed against the bark as we hurriedly raced for Konoha to turn over our hostage and meet with the Hokage.

"So, Kae," Kakashi said, "Tell us about the information you got today."

"Well," I sighed, "I learned that the twins attacked my squad because some mystery man offered to pay them to test out Toshiro's kekkei genkai. They didn't know why he wanted them to do it, but they didn't question it because they needed the money. Anyway, Sakura and I started questioning the villagers about this man, but no one had seen him except for one woman named Mai. She said that as she was walking by, she noticed a flicker of movement off in the distance. She went back to check it out, and that was when she saw him. She said that it was almost as if she needed to be standing in just the right place to be able to see him."

"What do you mean by that?" Naruto questioned.

I struggled to come up with a simplified explanation to give Naruto. "Well, it's like if you were walking past two buildings with an alleyway in between. In order to see something in between the two buildings, you'd have to be standing in the right place to see. If you were standing to close to one of the buildings, you wouldn't be able to see into the alleyway, but as you near the division between the two, you can see into it. Understand?"

"Yeah, I guess," Naruto grumbled, "but I just don't understand how that works with this guy. What was he doing to make himself practically invisible like that?"

"I'm not sure," I answered him, lowering my eyes to the branches beneath my feet. They passed quickly, in a blur, as I continued my travels.

"Do you have any ideas, Kakashi Sensei?" Sakura asked.

There was silence, and I assumed that Kakashi was trying to come up with an answer to her question. After a moment, Kakashi finally spoke, "Did you consider a camouflage jutsu?"

"We did," I answered, "but Ichiro, Jiro, and Mai all saw him, and if it was a camouflage jutsu, then no one would have seen him."

"True," Kakashi agreed.

"Mai also said something about three guys who were watching the man at all times," I added, "She said that they kept their distances from him, but they were constantly checking up on him. The way I see it, they were either controlling the man and using him as a pawn for their own gain, or they were acting as his bodyguards."

"Well, how do we know which one it is?" Naruto demanded.

"The man's obviously got some unique abilities," Kakashi began, "which would make it more likely that he was in charge of the other three, using them for protection in case something went wrong."

"That does make sense," Sakura agreed.

"Though," Kakashi continued, "we shouldn't be too quick to decide on anything. We don't have all the facts, after all. We'll just have to wait and see if the Interrogation Unit can get some more information out of this one."

"Right," I said quietly. I just hoped that there _was _more information that Jiro could provide.

"Kakashi Sensei," said Naruto, "Why don't you let me carry Jiro for a while."

"What?" Kakashi breathed, obviously baffled by Naruto's offer.

"I mean," the blonde boy continued, "your old body's got to be tired by now."

I couldn't keep the laughter from exploding from my lips, and Sakura's laughter soon followed. I nearly tripped over my own feet as the violent spasms in my abdomen made it difficult to balance on the tree branches. "I'm not old!" Kakashi retorted. Sakura and I continued to laugh, and Kakashi picked up his speed in response, quickly passing the three of us. "I'll show you!"

From then on, it was a competition. The forest was our racetrack and Konoha the finish line.

As the burnt orange sky faded to dark blue, we finally made it back to the village. The stars gave a bright twinkle to congratulate Naruto on his victory. I finished close behind him, then Sakura close behind me. Poor Kakashi had failed in his attempt to prove that he wasn't old, coming in dead last and nearly collapsing after he had passed through the village gates. "This doesn't confirm anything," Kakashi panted, "This guy's just _really _heavy."

"Yeah, sure," Naruto grinned, giving his sensei an encouraging pat on the back, "You just keep telling yourself that."

"Well, look at him!" Kakashi whined.

I laughed at my best friend. "Yeah, he's certainly _bigger_ than you are."

Kakashi's lower lip jutted outward, and he hung his head in shame. "You guys are hilarious," he whined.

We took turns poking fun at Kakashi for a few moments longer before I finally decided that his expression had become too pitiful to continue laughing at. "Aw, I'm sorry," I apologized to him, ruffling his sagging silver hair, "Should we get going to the Interrogation Unit, then?"

"Yeah," Sakura agreed, "We really shouldn't waste any more time."

"You're right," Kakashi said, "We'll go to the Interrogation Unit. But Kae, you go on ahead to the Hokage mansion. Tell Lady Hokage about everything that happened."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yes," he answered, "We'll catch up with you later."

"Yeah, Kaeda Sensei," Naruto flashed his teeth in his signature big grin, "We've got it covered! You go on ahead!"

"Well, alright," I sighed. With a wave of my hand, I turned on my heel and began walking the road that led to the Hokage mansion, leaving Squad Seven behind me. A smile formed on my lips as I heard Kakashi mutter something about Naruto carrying Jiro from now on, to which Naruto replied with a confident laugh and an "I told you so."

The streets were empty, and though that was normal for this time of night, the village felt almost eerily vacant. The chirping of crickets in the distance was the only noise that filled the night air other than the gentle scuffing of my shoes against the dirt. I didn't like the silence. It gave me a feeling of foreboding that I just couldn't shake away from my chest. The strange thing about it was I didn't exactly know _why _I felt this way. Shaking my head, I decided that I was just being paranoid and continued on my way.

I ascended the steps leading to the Hokage's office, and then turned to the right to head down a large hallway. The door to Lady Tsunade's room was closed, so I gently tapped my knuckles against the hardwood. As I waited to be called inside, I stepped away from the door and gazed out a giant window that faced a corner of the village. In this corner of the village, I noticed that most of the house lights were turned on, and there was more activity there than anywhere else in the village. Placing my hand against the glass, I squinted my eyes to try and find out what exactly was happening.

Before I could, however, the door to the Hokage's office had opened. A group of four Jonin ninja jogged out of the room and immediately turned to continue toward the stairs. Confused, I approached the door and peeked inside. Lady Tsunade sat at her desk, her eyes narrowed and her fingers laced in front of her lips. Shizune stood beside her holding Tonton tightly in her arms. I could tell that something was going on, and I wanted to know what it was. I knocked on the door once again. Both Lady Tsunade's and Shizune's eyes darted upward to look at me upon hearing the sound. "Um, excuse me, Lady Hokage," I said softly, "Can I come in?"

"Ah, yes," the Hokage sighed, straightening herself in her seat, "Please, come in, Kaeda."

"You've returned from your mission early," Shizune pointed out.

"Yes," I nodded, "We've acquired some information, and we've even captured one of the men who attacked my squad. Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura are taking him to the Interrogation Unit as we speak."

"Good work," Lady Tsunade murmured.

The Fifth had always been impatient. She always demanded specific details relating to any type of mission, and she got awfully cranky when she did not get what she wanted. That was why, when she _didn't _tell me to fill her in on the information I had received, I knew that something was wrong. "What's going on?" I asked her, my heart beating faster and faster within my chest.

"We're taking care of it," she simply responded, "don't worry about it."

Something in my brain clicked. I didn't know why, at that precise moment, my mind decided to work properly, but when it did, my eyes widened and my breath caught in my throat. My jaw dropped, and my lips parted as I tried to form the words that I wanted to say. I was angry. I was confused. I was _terrified. _That corner of the village…

… It was where the Isami Clan lived.

"Tell me what happened," I finally managed to whisper.

"I told you," Tsunade grumbled, "don't worry—"

"What happened to Toshiro!" I shouted. My fists clenched tightly at my sides, trembling in a mixture of rage and panic.

With a sigh, Lady Hokage leaned back in her seat and placed her hands in her lap. Her brown eyes lowered to the unfinished paperwork on her desk. Despite her utter hatred for paperwork, it was obvious that it appealed to her now more than ever. Tonton let out a quiet squeal, and Shizune hugged the pig closer to her chest. "He's been kidnapped," was all the Hokage said.

"By who?" I immediately asked her.

"We don't know," she replied, "it all happened so suddenly. But I've got ninja out questioning the Isami clan about what had happened, and I've already sent a few Jonin squads out to search for him."

"I'm going too," I decided.

"No," Tsunade shook her head, "Kaeda, I've sent too many ninja as it is. We need to keep the remaining ninja in the village, so you're staying."

"I'm _going,_" I repeated, turning on my heel to exit the room.

"You _most certainly are not!_" Tsunade shouted, slamming her fists against her desk. I stopped in the middle of the doorway when I heard the anger in her voice. "You are _staying _in this village and that's _final!_"

I was silent. So many thoughts raced through my mind that I couldn't figure out what I wanted to say. I wanted to know how this could have happened. I didn't understand how Toshiro could have just been _kidnapped _like this. How was it that nobody noticed until it was too late? How could the Isami clan have been deceived like this when they were one of the most revered clans of the Hidden Leaf?

"Kaeda," Lady Tsunade finally said in a low voice, "Go home. Relax. Train Nikko and Hana. Do whatever you want—just _don't _go after Toshiro. You're in no condition to be chasing after him. You've just returned from a mission, and your emotions are running rampant right now. So stay in Konoha."

When I didn't respond, Lady Hokage continued, "That's an _order._"

I left the room without a word. My eyes narrowed and a fire burning in my heart, I said to myself, "I don't care about your orders. I'm going to rescue my student."


	17. Seventeen: Kakashi's Plea

Author's Note: Ok, so I still haven't even started writing the next chapter. I just have so much to do right now since it's midterms and everything. :(  
So, if my next chapter is a little late, then I am so, so, **so **sorry.  
But, in other news, I'm pretty sure you guys will like this chapter. Hehehe. :)  
So, if you like it, then review! :D  
Thank you to Angel42497, Echo Uchiha, Evalyd Yamazaki, and MikaUchiha666 for the lovely reviews on the last chapter! You're all awesome!  
So yeah, enjoy this chapter, and review? Yes, that would be lovely. ;)

**Seventeen: Kakashi's Plea**

I was angry. No, I was _pissed. _If Lady Tsunade had really stationed ninja at all the entrances to the Isami clan's residence like she said she would, then there was no way that this could have happened. We had some of the most skilled shinobi in the entire world, and for them to be outsmarted by just _anyone _was unbelievable. Did the Hokage misjudge the severity of the situation despite my sincere concern? Or was this no-named criminal, whom I'd never even heard of until this morning, really that special? Was he really that strong? If he was, then I couldn't waste any time. I didn't know what he planned to do with Toshiro, but I knew that, whatever it was, it wasn't going to be good.

I sprinted down the stairs of the Hokage mansion until my feet were reunited with the rocky paths of Konoha. Dust clouds filled the air around my shoes as I hurriedly raced to my apartment to gather more weapons and supplies. My eyes narrowed against the cool air whipping across my face, and my jaw clenched so tightly that it quickly began to ache.

As I ran, I soon began to realize exactly what I was getting myself into. Going on missions without a four-man squad was dangerous, and if I were to get injured, I would have no one there to help. There was a large possibility that I could die on this mission, and that reality sent a shiver down my spine. I quickly shook the fear away, however, for I was willing to risk everything for my team. After all, Kakashi always said, _"In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their comrades are _worse _than scum."_

I would _not _abandon Toshiro. Not when he needed me the most.

"Kaeda Sensei!"

I heard a familiar pair of voices shout from behind me, so I brought myself to a quick stop and whirled around to face it. I was somewhat surprised to see two pairs of green and golden brown eyes gleaming back at me in the dark night. "Hana… Nikko," I panted, furrowing my eyebrows, "What are you doing out so late?"

"We heard about Toshiro," Hana replied in a soft voice, her eyes full of grief for her comrade and good friend.

I wasn't sure what to say. How could they have found out? Lady Tsunade would know better than to tell them, or at least I _hoped _she would. There was so much that was wrong with the overall situation that my head was spinning. All I managed to ask them was, "How?"

"We were going to go ask Toshiro if he wanted to train with us, and we overheard some guys talking about it." Nikko swiftly replied. I noticed that his hands were clenched at his sides, and his eyes held determination, a drastic change from his usual bored expression.

The last thing I wanted was for them to worry or feel responsible in any way for their friend's abduction. I relaxed the tense muscles in my face and softened the look in my eyes while forcing a smile onto my lips, hoping to ease some of the tension in the air. "Don't worry," I told them, "I'm going to find him. And even if I don't, Lady Hokage has already sent out a few teams to search for him. He'll be back in no time. You just go on home, get some rest, and train on your own tomorrow. I'll be back before you know it."

I began to turn on my heel to continue down the road leading to my apartment, but before I could start sprinting away, I heard both of them shout in unison, "We want to go with you!"

Turning back around, the first thing I noticed was the intensity in their eyes. There was no fear or uncertainty in their faces, only a fierce determination and tenacity that told me that they wouldn't be taking no for an answer. Half of me wanted to slap some sense into the children and tell them that they were too inexperienced to handle a mission of this level, but the other half of me was proud that my students were beginning to act like full-fledged shinobi, willing to put their lives on the line to protect their village and, in this case, the life of a fellow comrade. This was the first group of Genin that I had ever trained, so I wasn't sure how I was really supposed to feel in this sort of situation. "This is a big step you're taking," I explained, "This mission is going to be dangerous; there's a good chance you'll get injured, and there's the possibility that you could even die. Are you sure—"

"We don't care about the risks!" Nikko interrupted, narrowing his eyes, "Toshiro is our friend, and we'll do whatever it takes to rescue him!" Hana gave a quick nod to signify her agreement.

Something about Nikko had changed. He wasn't the same arrogant slacker that I had come to know. No. He was different. I had never seen this side of him before, but seeing him like this was incredible. I wondered what could have happened in the past two days that I had been gone to make him act this way, but, either way, it didn't really matter. This drastic change in attitude was refreshing to me, and, for the first time since meeting him, I had a genuine feeling of confidence in him.

I felt like I had no choice but to say yes, to reward them for their maturity and bravery. Sighing softly, I said, "Meet me at the front gate in twenty minutes. Make sure you're stocked with weapons, ninja pills, and any other ninja tools that you think will come in handy. You never know how long a mission can take, so be prepared for anything."

Turning on my heel, I left my students behind to continue on my journey back to my apartment. I immediately began to wonder if I had done the right thing by allowing them to tag along, but I quickly shook away the worry. They would have to grow up and face real missions eventually, so starting now would just give them a leg up on their fellow classmates. Besides, if they ever wanted to go on to become Chunin, some real experience would be extremely helpful to them.

It only took me a few minutes to reach my apartment. I remembered that I had locked the front door before I left two days ago, so I unzipped a side pocket of the holster on my leg to pull out my house key. The tumblers clicked, signaling that the door was unlocked, so I pushed it open and slipped quietly through the threshold. I didn't have much time, so I immediately raced up the stairs to my bedroom to begin packing.

I quickly detached my two pouches from my legs and tossed them onto my bed. I then tore open the top drawer of my dresser to grab a handful of special chakra-absorbing kunai, poisoned kunai, and super-explosive paper bombs. Tossing the items on my bed, I proceeded to empty some of the old, used kunai and shuriken from my pouches to make room for the new tools. When my pouches were fully stocked, I walked toward my closet and pulled the doors open. I kneeled down and pushed aside a few boxes to reveal a sheathed katana resting against the back wall.

_I haven't used this in years, _I thought to myself as I grasped it in my hands. I ran the pad of my thumb over the dents and scratches embedded in the sheath, and before I could stop and reminisce, I stood up and attached it around my waist, letting the weapon sit against my hip. The weight of the weapon at my side gave me a strange feeling of power that put a small smile on my face.

I gripped the handle with my right hand, enjoying the rough texture of the tsukaito, and as I became reacquainted with my katana, my mind began replaying scenes from past battles. I remembered the look of utter terror on the faces of my opponents when they first saw the gleaming of my blade. I remembered the look of awe on my comrades' faces when I swung the blade so fast that it was barely visible. But most of all, I remembered how strong I felt. With this weapon at my side, I was essentially _unstoppable. _The only reason I stopped using it was when I began training to become an instructor, and, to be honest, I really missed it. I was glad to have it at my side once again.

I just hoped that I wasn't _too _rusty.

Pushing my thoughts aside, I walked toward my bed reattach my weapons holsters to my leg and back pocket. When they were secure, I took a few deep breaths. _I'll find you, Toshiro, _I thought to myself, _No matter what it takes._

"Kae," a familiar voice interrupted my thoughts.

My eyes widened in shock, but I didn't have to look to see who it was. "Kakashi," I replied. There was a thick tension in the air, and I could tell that he knew exactly what was going on.

My best friend stepped further into my room and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Don't do it," was all he whispered. There was a hint of desperation in his voice.

I shrugged away from his touch and turned to walk toward my bedroom door. I couldn't bring myself to look at him, so I lowered my eyes to the floor instead. "I have to," I said softly.

In a flash, Kakashi positioned himself between myself and the door, holding his arms out to his sides to block the exit. Startled, my eyes darted upward to meet his. His visible black eye stared back at me, begging, _pleading _for me to listen to him. "I know that Toshiro is your student, and you feel obligated to find him," he began, "but Toshiro's kidnapping wasn't your fault. You don't have to do this."

"I don't feel _obligated,_" I retorted, narrowing my eyes at him, "And I'm not doing this because I feel _guilty. _My student needs me; I'm not just going to abandon him and try to pretend like none of this ever happened."

"But Lady Tsunade has ordered you to stay in the village," he reminded me, "If you disobey her, you're going to get yourself into a lot of trouble. Kae, you could lose your privileges as a shinobi. Everything you've worked toward… you could lose it all!"

"I don't care!" I yelled in exasperation, throwing my hands in the air and spinning on my heel so I didn't have to look at him any longer.

"Kae—"

"I don't understand why everyone's trying to stop me," I interrupted him, speaking softly. My hands clenched at my sides, trembling in anger. "Kakashi, you of all people should understand me!"

"I do," He whispered.

"Well you sure aren't acting like it," I scoffed.

Since Kakashi was still blocking the door, I stepped toward my bedroom window and began unlatching the lock. I pushed it open, a cool breeze immediately whirling into my room. "I'm going, whether you like it or not," I told Kakashi.

"Then let me come with you," He answered.

My eyes widened upon hearing his response. I bit my lip and subconsciously gripped the windowsill with my hands. "No," I whispered.

"Why not?" He demanded, narrowing his eyes and clenching his jaw.

"You've already had to deal with a situation like this with Sasuke," I explained, "I can't make you go through something like that again, especially since Toshiro's not even your student. It's my responsibility to get him back, not yours. I'll deal with it."

"My experience with Sasuke is all the more reason to bring me with you!" He argued.

"I'm sorry," I apologized, shaking my head, "I won't allow it."

"But Kae—"

I whirled myself around to look at him. When Kakashi saw the agony in my eyes, he immediately stopped whatever it was that he was about to say and simply gazed back at me. "Kakashi," I began, "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you went on this mission with me and you ended up getting hurt. I can't risk the life of my best friend. I…" I hesitated for a moment, "I need you, Kakashi."

"Then I won't leave you," he responded, "I'll go with you, stay with you the entire way, no matter what happens. Just take me with you."

I let my eyes close as a small chuckle escaped my lips. Even without being able to see him, I could tell that Kakashi's expression was that of confusion. "You've always been stubborn," I told him, "Luckily, though, I've always been just a bit more stubborn than you."

I began to turn back around to climb out the window and make my way to the village gates, but something stopped me before I could. There were too many different emotions raging within me at one time. My heart pounded inside my chest. My fingers trembled. My knees wobbled. My mind was screaming for my feet to move, but my body just wouldn't listen. I knew very well that this could be the last time that I ever saw my best friend, and leaving him while knowing this was proving to be extremely difficult.

I couldn't keep my eyes from seeking Kakashi's, and when our gazes locked, something came over me. Like a magnet, my body was pulled toward his, and when our faces were mere inches apart, I lifted my hands upward to grip the fabric of his mask. I gently pulled it downward, and, much to my surprise, Kakashi didn't object. His face exposed, I ran my fingertips across his cheeks down to trace his jawline. His skin was so soft, warm, and inviting that my mind had completely surrendered, allowing my body to take full control.

Placing my hands behind his neck, I pulled Kakashi closer until I could feel his hot breath against my skin. My breath caught in my throat as the sensation sent a shiver down my spine, and I let my eyelids flutter close. I felt Kakashi's hands on my lower back, each of his fingertips sending tiny shock waves throughout my entire body. Electrified by his touch, I hesitated no longer in closing the gap between us. My fingers tangled in his hair as I pressed my lips tenderly against his. Kakashi's muscles tensed, but after only a few moments, his hands pressed harder against the small of my back, pulling me even closer to him.

A few soft kisses later, we parted our lips simultaneously so our tongues could meet in between. His tongue gently massaged against mine, which caused every nerve in my body to pulse in a sort of intense euphoria that I had never experienced before. I could not think, and I could not breathe. All I knew was that his smell, his touch, his taste, hell, _everything _about him was so perfect that I never wanted this moment to end.

I knew, however, that I was constantly running out of time, so while I still had a tiny bit of control over myself, I separated my lips from his. The second the kiss ended, I wished that I hadn't pulled away. I wanted so badly to stay with him here, but I knew that I couldn't. I knew that Toshiro was still out there, and he still needed me. "Goodbye, Kakashi," I said in a soft voice. Before he could argue, I climbed out of my bedroom window and leapt across the rooftops in the direction of Konoha's front gates.

A single tear slid down my cheek; I missed him already.


	18. Eighteen: Searching for Clues

Author's Note: I am SO sorry that this is late. I just haven't really had time to just sit down and write until today.  
I'm also sorry if this chapter seems a little rushed. I tried to get it done as quickly as possible so I didn't keep you guys waiting too much longer.  
Hopefully you guys can forgive me? *puppy dog eyes*  
Thank you to Echo Uchiha, BlackRose723, MikaUchiha666, and Angel42497 for the amazing reviews on chapter seventeen! You guys are amazing, as usual. :D  
Hopefully you enjoy this chapter as well!  
Reviews would be lovely! :)

**Eighteen: Searching for Clues**

I saw the silhouette of Kakashi everywhere I looked. The stars in the sky, the treetops in the distance, the cracks in the roads, and even my own reflection in store windows had morphed into his likeness. Hell, even closing my eyes didn't free me from his presence. The darkness was interrupted all to soon by the image of his eyes staring back at me through his silver hair, which fell so perfectly (yet chaotically) over his face. Just when the thought of him had become so real that I wanted to reach out and touch his warm skin, I would open my eyes and be reunited by the lonely streets of Konoha that I passed over from the rooftops. Part of me wished that I had allowed Kakashi to come with me, but the tiny bit of my conscience that remained knew that I couldn't.

Shaking my head, I tried to erase Kakashi from my mind and instead focus on the mission at hand. I had probably kept myself in my house for too long, so I had to hurry and reach Konoha's gate. The longer I kept my students waiting for me, the higher the chances were of someone discovering them. Any ninja could put the pieces of the puzzle together, and once they realized what they were doing, they would be escorted to the Hokage's office for punishment. I couldn't allow that to happen. I had to hurry.

The cold wind slapped hard against my skin as I quickened my pace, but the stinging was worth it when I saw my student's come into view. I scanned the surroundings, and there was no one around—not even Izumo and Kotetsu. Without wasting another second, I approached the building's edge and ran off of the side, descending to the ground. I somersaulted upon my landing to soften the blow from the high velocity that I traveled, and I instantly sprung back to my feet once the technique had been successfully executed. "Are you ready?" I asked them in a hushed voice.

My Genin flinched at the sound of my voice, whirling around to face me. Their widened eyes relaxed when they realized who I was. The two flashed each other a quick look, as if to ask the other if they were still interested in taking on the mission, and when neither faltered, they simultaneously nodded their heads. I looked into their eyes. They were narrowed to show confidence and courage, but I could see past their exteriors. They were different than before. Although they tried their best not to show it, they were scared. "You can still back out," I reminded them, "I won't think any less of you."

"We're not going to back out," Nikko replied softly, attempting to cover the slight cracks in his voice as he spoke.

"Our friend needs us," Hana added. She was less successful in hiding her anxiety, but she maintained a tough exterior, just as she always did.

I couldn't blame them for being terrified. Not only was this the most risky mission they had ever taken on, but also their comrade—their _friend_—was in grave danger. It was a giant leap from where they were just a few hours ago. "If you're sure," I sighed, "then let's get going."

My students nodded. "Right!"

Once we exited through the village gates, there was no turning back. We left Konoha behind, jumping into the treetops to sprint into the surrounding forest before anyone had noticed that we were leaving. I followed behind Hana and Nikko so I could protect the area behind us.

"Where are we going to go?" Hana asked.

I had thought about it for a few moments, and I decided that heading back to the rundown village, where the mysterious man had first been spotted, was our best bet. Chances are that, since he passed through that town to get what he wanted, he would probably pass back through once he had attained it. I hoped that we would be able to find some sort of clue as to where they were headed next. "I have an idea," I answered her, "I'll let you know when and where to turn."

"Can't you just tell us where?" Nikko inquired, flashing his golden brown eyes back towards mine.

"I would," I said to him, "but I guarantee that you guys have never heard of it."

He furrowed his eyebrows, but he didn't protest. Instead, he sighed, averted his gaze forward, and continued leaping across the tree branches. It was strange. Nikko simply accepted my comment without arguing, and I was growing increasingly curious as to why. I decided, however, that it wasn't the appropriate time to question him about it, so I shook my curiosity aside so I could focus on navigating my team.

I stopped periodically to examine the branches for scuffmarks and blood. I needed to remember at what point we were supposed to start heading south, and when I finally found the right tree, I told my teammates to take a right turn. We continued heading that way for another hour or so until we reached the small town with the hot spring resort. "Take a left here," I told them before the memories of the night that Kakashi and I had shared here resurfaced. I didn't want to think about him. I _couldn't _think about him.

My students did as they were told, and soon the town had faded into the distance as we continued on our way. I breathed a small sigh of relief and focused my eyes on the path ahead of us. It was dark, but I could still see the smoke of the rundown town rising in the night sky far into the distance. I knew that we had almost arrived. "It's not much further," I told my Genin.

After another twenty minutes of traveling, we had finally reached a break in the forest. We dropped to the ground, and the three of us immediately doubled over in exhaustion, panting heavily. My students coughed when they inhaled the smoky air. "What is this place?" Nikko questioned through ragged breaths.

I condensed the story that Kakashi had recited for Naruto and Sakura into fewer words, not only to conserve time, but because my breathing was too heavy to allow for a long anecdote. Their eyes expressed grief for the town's unfortunate demise. "You really think that Toshiro will be here?" Hana asked quietly.

"Not necessarily," I answered her, "Toshiro's kidnapper was recently seen here, so I think that there's a good chance that we'd be able to find some clues about where he's headed now."

"Makes sense," Nikko agreed. Again, I couldn't help but find his cooperation somewhat strange.

"Kaeda!"

A voice called my name from a distance, so I averted my gaze to examine it. Running from inside the town, I noticed familiar long, brown locks flowing in the gentle breeze and golden eyes gleaming against the darkness. "Mai?"

The girl quickly approached us. Instead of her loose-fitting dress, she wore a t-shirt and sweatpants, and a pair of sandals covered her normally bare feet. She had a small backpack slung over her shoulders, and its contents, which sounded like weapons and ninja tools, clanked together as she ran. "I was actually just about to travel to Konoha to find you."

"You were going to look for me?" I repeated, confused.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Who is this lady?" Nikko demanded. _There _was that bothersome attitude of his.

"Hana, Nikko," I called their names, "this is Mai. She helped me out on the investigation. Mai, these are my students."

"It's nice to meet you," Mai smiled, bowing respectfully toward them.

Hana bowed immediately in return, while Nikko hesitated a moment before mimicking the gesture. Being polite obviously wasn't something that came natural to him.

"Anyway," Mai continued, "I was going to go find you so that I could tell you that I saw the strange man again."

My ears perked up. "You did?"

"Yes," she answered, "Just about an hour ago. I noticed that same flicker of movement that originally caught my eye, so I investigated. This time, he was carrying someone on his shoulders. A boy."

_Toshiro._

"Which way were they headed?" I immediately asked.

She pointed her index finger toward the opposite end of the town where the break in the forest had ended. "They were heading East."

"Thank you so much, Mai," I sighed, "you're incredible."

I signaled for my students to follow me, but just as we started to move, Mai called out to us. "Wait!" We stopped, turned around, and looked back at her. She had that same determined look in her eyes that I had seen in her before. "I want to come with you."

I remembered what she had told me earlier. Her dream was to become a great ninja, and although she was stuck in a rough situation, she still trained on her own everyday to someday make that dream a reality. She was so hopeful toward her future and so firm in her desire to make something of herself and to support her family, it was inspiring. I remembered how perceptive she was and how helpful she was to our investigation, and I realized that she could actually be an asset to our team. Besides, ninja squads generally contained four members, and Squad Thirteen currently had three. With her, we would have a complete team, and a higher chance of finding Toshiro. It didn't take long for me to make my decision. "Well," I smiled at her, "let's go."

The four of us raced to the other end of the village to continue into the forest. I was surprised that, even without proper ninja training, Mai was able to concentrate her chakra to her feet to sprint up a tree trunk. We leapt through the forest, constantly alert for suspicious activity or disheveled surroundings. Since it was dark and visibility was low, we traveled on branches that were closer to the ground.

We examined the vicinity until the sun began to peek over the horizon. The sky was tinted in pastel colors, and birds chirped in the treetops, but, despite the serenity of the morning, I was not feeling serene. I was becoming impatient. We hadn't found a single clue. "You're sure you saw them heading this way?" I asked Mai.

"Positive," she answered, "You've got to remember that these are skilled ninja we're dealing with. They've covered their tracks well, but we'll find them."

Her positive attitude was contagious, and I couldn't keep the smile from forming on my face. "You're going to be a great ninja one day, Mai," I told her.

"Hey!" Hana shouted, "Kaeda Sensei, I think I see something!"

The four of us descended quickly so Hana could lead us toward whatever it was that she had seen. The girl kneeled downward to grasp something small and black in the dirt. She held it in between her fingers as she examined it.

"What is it?" I asked her, becoming more curious with each passing second.

After a few more moments, she flashed her emerald eyes upward to face me. "It's a shred of fabric… _from Toshiro's jacket_."


	19. Nineteen: Breadcrumbs

Author's Note: So, I'm sure you're all kinda mad that I took so long to upload this... :/  
And I don't really have an excuse. Really, I was just enjoying my break from school. I really needed it.  
I'm really sorry for making you all wait so long. I hope you can forgive me! :D  
Thanks to Echo Uchiha, Angel42497, MikaUchiha666 for reviewing the last chapter!  
If you would be so kind as to review, that would be awesome. :)

**Nineteen: Breadcrumbs**

I took the sample of fabric from Hana's hands so I could examine it for myself. It was so small—I wasn't sure how Hana could be so certain that this was actually from Toshiro's jacket. Sure, the color and texture of the material was the same, but this could have belonged to anyone. "How do you know?" I asked her.

The girl's eyes lowered to her lap as she fiddled with her fingers. "I… I'm not sure," she whispered, "I just _know._"

I ran my fingers across the fabric. "The edges are torn and frayed," I observed aloud.

"Do you think that they hurt Toshiro?" Hana asked with worry in her eyes.

I thought about it. It was very probable that the men who captured him had injured Toshiro, and this shred of his jacket had just been lost in the process. But as far as I could see, the surroundings held no evidence of blood spilled in a struggle, so I wasn't going to be too quick to judge the situation. Besides, I had another idea as to why I held a piece of Toshiro's jacket in my hands. "Check the surrounding area for more pieces of fabric," I told my teammates, "A one mile radius should be sufficient."

"I'll take the North!" Nikko announced while dashing away from the group.

"Wait!" I shouted at the boy. He stopped dead in his tracks and peeked back toward me. His expression was that of impatience. "It's too dangerous for anyone to go alone. We'll use the buddy system."

"Well, then who's going with me?" Nikko groaned, "We don't have all day!"

I turned to Mai. "Would you mind going with Hana?" I asked in a hushed tone, "Nikko's always been a bit… impulsive. I feel like I should go with him, so I can keep him under control."

"That's fine," Mai smiled.

"We'll take the north and work our way east. You take the south and work to the west. If you see something, let us know. We'll do the same."

"Right,"

Mai and Hana sprinted away to begin their search, so I turned around to start running toward Nikko. He crossed his arms over his chest and tapped his foot impatiently. "Took you long enough," he grumbled.

"Just when I thought you had changed," I grinned, patting him on the shoulder, "Now, stop whining and get to work."

As we walked further away from our teammates, we examined the ground for traces of jacket fabric. We had to advance slowly and carefully so as to be sure we didn't miss anything as we continued on our way. Much to my surprise, Nikko was quiet during our search. The only sounds that permeated the air were the loud snaps of twigs and crunches of dead leaves under our feet. And though the cheerful chirping of birds was absent, I took the lovely morning sunrise as a reason to remain hopeful.

The sun cast a warm light to the forest, giving the earth a rich, orange-brown tone that would make it easier to differentiate the black hue of the substance we were looking for. As I scanned the forest floor, however, all I could see was dirt, leaves, and the occasional pinecone. I did not see a shred of fabric anywhere. I tried not to get discouraged, seeing as we had only been searching for a few minutes, but, being my impatient self, I found that task increasingly difficult. Even Nikko managed to maintain his composure, so if I were to break now, I would be even worse than him, and I certainly didn't want that.

When we had traveled about a mile from our starting point and hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary, we began working our way East. The sun continued to rise higher and higher in the sky, and the blinding light seemed to taunt me as it shone into my eyes. It signified that time was still passing, and we had still found nothing. Nikko and I searched every spot on the ground, and I had even crawled on my hands and knees to get a close up view, wanting to be sure that I hadn't missed anything. But all that got me was a pair of dirty palms and more disappointment.

Before I could let slip a tiny curse, however, I heard a faint sound in the distance.

I tilted my right ear up toward the sky, hoping that would somehow make hearing somewhat easier. "Did you hear something?" I asked Nikko.

Nikko's eyes became distant as he concentrated on listening. Again, far in the distance, I heard a faint cry. A smile crept onto my face, and hope filled my heart once again. "Let's go," I said as I began to sprint toward the sound.

"What is it?" Nikko asked, following closely behind me.

"Hana and Mai," I answered him, "they found something."

I shouted into the air, offering an answer to the voice that belonged to either Hana or Mai. They kept calling out periodically so as to inform us of their location as we approached them. After a mere matter of minutes of weaving in and out of the millions of tree trunks that jutted from the ground, we had made it. Hana and Mai leaned against a large tree, the younger girl holding something small and black in her hand. The two of them smiled victoriously. "We found one," Hana told me.

"Excellent," I said to the both of them, "Where was it?"

The two instantaneously pointed their fingers to a spot on the ground located to their right. "Right there, in between those trees."

I walked to the exact spot. "The second piece of fabric was found here," I repeated. I then pointed my finger toward the spot in which the first piece was found, "And the first was located over there. Seeing as Nikko and I never found anything, the kidnappers—and Toshiro, by default—must be heading this way," I switched the direction of my index finger so it was pointing in the opposite direction.

"I still don't get it," Nikko interrupted, furrowing his eyebrows, "What exactly is the deal with Toshiro's jacket? Why is it in tiny pieces on the ground?"

I smiled at the boy. "Your teammate is smart, you know."

"Well, duh," Nikko rolled his eyes, "We know, he's a freaking genius. What does that have to do with anything?"

Mai gasped quietly. "Wait," she whispered, obviously having a realization, "Are you telling me that he—"

"Yes," I interjected, unable to hide my growing smile, "The reason his jacket is in tiny shreds that are frayed at the edges is because Toshiro _chewed_ his jacket into pieces. He then spit them onto the ground to let us know where he was being taken. Like the breadcrumbs that led Hansel and Gretel, these pieces of his jacket are our key to finding Toshiro."

"Wow," Hana sighed, "Toshiro really did that?"

"For being so young, he really is intelligent," Mai said softly.

Nikko crossed his arms over his chest, letting a tiny _'hmph'_ escape his mouth. Before he could turn his face away from us, however, I noticed a tiny hint of a smile playing on his lips. He was happy that his teammate was so smart, but his tough exterior, which was still alive and well, would not allow his true emotions to come through.

"Alright," I sighed, "We have to hurry. Be sure to look for more pieces of his jacket as we go."

With quick nods of approval, my team followed me deeper into the forest. Relief soothed my heavy heart, and I found myself traveling with skip in my step. We were going to find him. It had been less than half a day, and we had already found a trail leading straight to Toshiro and the men that held him captive. It almost seemed too good to be true, but I was so thrilled about the situation that I paid no mind to the convenience that would normally puzzle me.

More "breadcrumbs" were found at five-to-ten-minute intervals of sprinting through the forest, and I was growing increasingly anxious with each passing second. I wondered what would happen when I saw the man who kidnapped my student. I wasn't sure if I would be able to compose myself long enough to actually question the man's motives, or if I would become so enraged that I would attack him immediately upon seeing him. I told myself that I would control my impulses, but even I couldn't predict my own moves. Like Naruto and Nikko both, I was somewhat of a hothead, and, although I knew full well that it was a troublesome quality of mine, it had always been hard for me to control.

We came to a break in the forest, and ahead of us was a small bridge that crossed over a calm river. There was another shred of black fabric at the base of one of the fence posts, assuring us that they did, in fact, pass over the bridge. I picked up the fabric and put it in the front pocket of my Jonin vest, where I had kept all the other pieces of material, and urged my teammates to hurry to the other side. As our heels clacked against the hardwood, my heart raced not only with fatigue from running, but also with the anticipation of encountering the kidnappers.

When we had made it to the other side of the river, I scanned my eyes across the horizon. The surroundings were bare, but in the distance was a small rocky mass with a path of flattened prairie grass leading toward it. "There," I breathed, "That has to be where they are,"

"There's another piece of Toshiro's jacket!" Nikko shouted, pointing to a small black speck in the lightly colored grass. That confirmed it. Toshiro was up ahead.

"Let's hurry," I said.

We sprinted down the trail toward the brown mountain of rock in the distance. As we approached it, I noticed a small opening that lead inside the rocky mass. _A hideout?_

"Well, what do we have here?"

I heard a voice from somewhere in front of me, a voice that I didn't recognize. It was deep and rough, so I assumed that it belonged to a man. Searching the vicinity, however, I couldn't pinpoint the owner of that voice, for there was no one to be seen but the other members of my team. "Looks like I underestimated you," I could hear the smirk in the man's voice, "_Kaeda._"

"Show yourself, coward!" I shouted. I lowered myself into a battle stance, preparing for combat, which could happen at any given moment. To my team, I whispered, "Get ready."

Suddenly, atop the mass of rock before us, a figure phased into sight from out of nowhere. Shocked by his sudden appearance, I gasped quietly and furrowed my eyebrows. The man had long dark hair that flowed gently in the current of the breeze. His trench coat covered the majority of his body, from the high collar that hid his face to the bottom hem that extended just past his knees. Mai grasped my shoulder firmly in her hands. "That's him," she breathed, "that's the guy that I saw in the village."

"Who are you?" I demanded, gritting my teeth in rage, "And where is Toshiro?"

"You mean that Isami boy?" he questioned, clearly enjoying the anger he had stirred within me, "Don't worry, he's perfectly safe. I haven't gotten a chance to perform the extraction."

"Extraction?" Hana whimpered from behind me.

_This can't be good, _I thought to myself, _Don't tell me that he's…_

"Look, _pal_," Nikko growled, "Are you going to tell us who the _hell _you are, or what?"

The man chuckled. "Since you're all going to be dead soon, I might as well tell you," he said in a condescending tone, "My name is Koji Gensai, and, in a matter of days, I will be the supreme ruler the world."


	20. Twenty: Chains of Eternity

Author's Note: Ok... *cowers* don't hit me!  
I am so sorry that I haven't updated in forever. School just got so stressful, and I also went to Europe for a few weeks for Art History credit.  
But I know that my excuses probably don't make it any better. :(  
I PROMISE that I will be better about updating from now on. I feel so bad, I can understand if you don't want to review anymore. :(  
But, if you could find it in your heart to forgive me, I would be forever grateful! :)  
Again, I'm so sorry! I really hope that, if you all are still reading this, that you enjoy it!  
And maybe, possibly... review?

Also, I would like to thank invisible-gurl, KushiHime, shaenyface, Tinkertot95, Koyuki-Rune, LivieLi, Ninja Trio's Best, .Princess, Angel42497, MikaUchiha666, and Echo Uchiha for all of the reviews on chapter nineteen. I am so appreciative of all the amazing things that you said about this story, and I am so incredibly sorry for making you all wait so long! I know how annoyed I get when a writer suddenly stops posting, and I feel terrible that I ended up doing the same thing. I just hope you all can forgive me! Thanks again for the fantastic reviews! You all are amazing!

**Twenty: Chains of Eternity**

"The _what?_" I questioned through gritted teeth. My fingers clenched tightly within my palms, nails digging into the calloused skin.

The man called _Koji _grinned. "Hard of hearing, are we? I'll repeat myself, then," the man paused for a moment. He cleared his throat and took in a deep breath, taunting me with each passing second he stalled. Finally, his thin lips parted so he could speak, "I, Koji Gensai, am to reign as the Supreme Kage of the entire ninja world!"

My eyes narrowed instinctively. So many times I had heard the same spiel about world domination, and it never failed to enrage me. The thought of turning on my own village was disgusting to me, so I had no idea as to how someone else could do such a thing. Unlike all the other fools who claimed to have what it takes to take over the world, however, this guy was strong, and, considering he had the skill and intelligence to continuously outsmart and slip past us, he must have reason to believe he can truly succeed. That said, this guy truly was a threat. Comparable even to Orochimaru, when he tried to destroy Konoha, I guessed. Part of me trembled in fear at the thought of encountering such an opponent, but the majority of me trembled in excitement at the thought of killing him.

"Where is Toshiro?" I repeated my original question in a smooth, calm voice, concealing the emotional tension that pulled at every nerve in my body.

"Yeah, where is he?" Nikko snapped, lunging forward with a fierce desperation. His arms stretched outward, reaching toward his enemy.

I stepped out in front of him, blocking his path with my right arm. The blonde boy skidded to a quick stop before colliding into me, and a disgruntled groan immediately filled the air. Before he had a chance to protest, I warned him, "Your opponent is a skilled one. Don't be so hasty."

Koji snickered as he witnessed the scene. "Poor kid. I can only imagine the complete and utter humiliation the little brat must suffer daily, being Toshiro's teammate, and all."

I could almost feel the heat radiating from Nikko's boiling blood. "Don't listen to him," I whispered to the boy, "he's just trying to get under your skin."

"Well, it's working," Nikko growled in response.

With a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips, I shook my head. This boy was so much like me; it was ridiculous.

As I turned my attention back to Koji, I remembered the mysterious way in which he phased into view. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. Unlike a normal camouflage jutsu, which requires some sort of surrounding foliage or construction to blend into, this guy managed to blend into nothing at all. It was almost as if he was invisible, but that wasn't possible… was it?

"So," Koji sighed, wrenching me from my thoughts, "you want to see the Isami boy, correct?"

I furrowed my eyebrows. _He's going to reveal Toshiro? Just like that?_

"What are you up to?" I questioned softly.

"Oh, nothing really," Koji responded with a small shrug, "I just think it will be more fun if the boy got to hear the helpless cries of his Sensei and teammates as they are killed."

A tiny gasp permeated the still air, and I immediately recognized Hana's voice. She tried to cover her fear, but the stress of her first high-ranking mission, as well as the added stress of Toshiro's safety and Koji's taunts, were quickly getting to her. For a moment, I regretted allowing her to join the mission, realizing that she probably wasn't mentally prepared to handle it; however, I quickly remembered how strong she really was under that soft exterior of hers, and I knew in my heart that she would pull through. I was confident in her.

"Daisuke, Hajime," Koji called with a clap of his hands, "bring out the boy."

My eyes darted toward the opening carved into the rock on which Koji stood. From the darkness emerged two dark-skinned men. One had short, spiky white hair, and the other had medium-length chocolate hair that was slicked back. Their eyes were both narrowed into tiny slits, and there was a stern tension in their eyebrows and wide jaws. As they continued out of the hideout, I noticed a spiky white ponytail peeking out from behind the two men.

_Toshiro._

The two were dragging the boy by the collar of his jacket, which I noticed had tiny holes and bite marks around the collar. Toshiro's wrists and ankles were bound by a set of thick stone braces, and he had a black blindfold tied around his eyes. Bruises and lesions covered his body, strands of hair pulled loose from his sagging ponytail matted against his dirt-covered face, and his head hung lifeless against his right shoulder. Before I could worry, however, I noticed the slight rise and fall of his chest as he slowly breathed. The poor kid had a tough struggle, so he was probably just exhausted. The two men who dragged him along tossed him carelessly to the ground. I cringed at the sight, but managed to hold my composure.

"The little brat gave us quite a bit of trouble on the way here," Koji told us in an airy tone. He leapt off the rock to the ground beside it, a cloud of dirt rising around his ankles as he did so. Kneeling beside Toshiro, he caressed the boy's face with his bony fingers, "but he won't be a problem once the extraction is performed."

"What do you mean by _extraction?_" Nikko demanded, "And get your creepy little paws away from my friend!"

_Extraction, _I thought to myself. My eyes widened. _Oh no… he couldn't mean…_

"It's quite simple, actually," the man responded, "I'm going to replace my own eyes with Toshiro's Kiseigan eyes. That way, I will possess the famous Isami clan's kekkei genkai! The Kiseigan, along with my own unique talents, will give me just the amount of power I need to take over the world!"

_It's just as I feared…_

"Tell me," I said to him, "Why exactly do you need the Isami clan's Kiseigan? And why Toshiro? Are you really that much of a coward to prey on a child?"

"I've done my research, Kaeda," the man smirked, "Toshiro, although currently the youngest ninja of the Isami clan, possesses the purest Kiseigan of his entire clan. The kekkei genkai runs stronger through his veins than even the head of the clan himself. It seems only natural that, if I am to steal the Kiseigan for myself, I should extract it from the purest source."

_Who _is _this guy? _ I thought to myself, _and how does he know so much about Toshiro?_

"So why the Kiseigan?" I repeated, "What does the Isami clan's kekkei genkai have to do with your twisted fantasies?"

"I imagine that you know all about the Kiseigan," he said, "A chakra absorption kekkei genkai that allows the user _unlimited _amounts of chakra." The man's eyes seemed to twitch with excitement as he spoke of it, "Once I have the Kiseigan for myself, I will have access to all the chakra that I could ever need!"

"But there are restrictions to the Kiseigan's uses," I argued, "You can't just create all the chakra that you want! Don't you think one of the Isami clan would have already tried something like that by now, if it _were _possible?"

"Ah, but that's the beauty of my plan," Koji interjected. He reached toward Toshiro, grasped his jacket, and tore the fabric from the boy's body. He then pulled Toshiro's fishnet shirt upward, and, as he did so, my jaw dropped. The boy's entire back was covered in a series of kanji symbols and intricate designs of blue and neon green intertwined between them. It was like nothing I had ever seen before, and it puzzled me.

"This," Koji continued, tracing his fingers along the elaborate pattern, "is the Isami clan's secret sealing jutsu, the _Chains of Eternity Seal. _In order to prevent any member of the Isami clan from gaining unlimited power from their kekkei genkai, the Isami clan agreed to seal away the full power of the Kiseigan in each of their people. In return, the other legendary clans of Konoha, the Senju and Uchiha, agreed that the first Hokage of Konoha would come from the Isami clan."

"Hold on a minute," I interrupted him, "The first Hokage was a Senju, not an Isami."

"Yes," he agreed, "the Senju and Uchiha clans ignored their half of the deal, and took over the title of Hokage before the Isami could appoint their leader. The Isami, of course, were furious with them. They had already sealed away their kekkei genkai, and had only a fraction of the strength that they had possessed before, meaning that they were now powerless against the Senju and the Uchiha. In short, the allied clans, who only wanted to secure the rule over Konoha for themselves, had tricked them.

"Unfortunately for the Isami clan, the Chains of Eternity Seal passes from mother to child during childbirth, and there is no known way to reverse the seal. The Isami, therefore, are forever incapable of using their full power. The closer that any Isami gets to the seal's limit while using their Kiseigan, the more painful each successive absorption technique becomes."

Koji concealed the seal with Toshiro's fishnet shirt, and he then lifted himself to his feet. With an evil smirk, he continued, "Fortunately for me, I am _not _an Isami."

"What do you mean?" Nikko snapped.

"Meaning," Koji narrowed his eyes at the blonde boy, "that once the extraction is complete, I will be able to use the full power of the Kiseigan without the constraint of the seal!"

Gripping the hilt of my sword, I lowered myself into a sturdy front stance. "You know, we're not going to make this very easy for you," I told him in a low voice. I drew my blade, the metal slicing loudly against the sheath. As I held my sword in both hands, I began flowing wind chakra into the blade, excited to use my special sword techniques once again.

"And I hope you know," Koji grinned, "that I'm not going this very easy for you, either."

And with that said, the man disappeared into thin air.

_Shit._


	21. TwentyOne: Blindfolded

Author's Note: Ahh! I am so relieved that you guys didn't yell at me!  
I mean, I would have totally understood if you did, but still. :D Have I ever told you that you all are AMAZING?  
Anyway, this chapter was a bit difficult for me to write. I'm still not all that comfortable with fight scenes. I would gladly welcome any constructive criticism you have to offer! :)  
So... yeah. I'm really sorry if it gets a bit sloppy! I feel like that's what happens when I write fight scenes, haha.  
Thanks to MikaUchiha666, Echo Uchiha, invisible-gurl, and BlackRose723 for the reviews! And a double thank you to AkariWolfPrincess, whose name, for whatever reason, keeps getting screwed up in my ANs. Sorry about that! I honestly don't know what happened, haha. It won't let me add the periods in between the words. :/  
Anyway, I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter! I know I've been hitting you hard with cliffhangers in this story... and I'm sorry about that. :P

**Twenty-One: Blindfolded**

"Where did he go?" Nikko questioned, his hatred residing as confusion took over.

Gripping my sword in both hands, I carefully shifted my stance to peer around behind me. No one. He simply vanished into thin air. "I don't know," I answered the boy, "but I don't like this technique of his. I don't like it one bit."

"This is what I meant when I said, '_He always seemed to appear out of nowhere and disappear just as fast,'" _said Mai as she fidgeted with her hands by her chest, "One second he's there, and the next—"

A shrill scream interrupted Mai, causing all of our heads to turn in search of the source. Upon witnessing what had happened, my eyes widened, and I inhaled a sharp gasp of air that seemed to catch in my throat. On the ground lie a trembling Hana, who clutched her side with her left hand as she struggled to support her weight with her right. Between her quivering fingers, I noticed blood trickling out of a fresh wound. Each breath of hers quickly became shorter and more ragged, and her face scrunched into an expression of intense pain. She bit her lip so as to refrain from crying out, but a small tear managed to escape from between her tightly closed eyelids.

"Oh, no," I breathed, sprinting toward my injured student while sheathing my sword. I supported her weight with my arm so she could relax, but, unfortunately, that didn't seem to relieve any of her pain. Examining the wound, I decided that it must have been a slice from a kunai blade, and it was deep. Quickly, I began rifling through my pouch of medical supplies for some bandages. "It's ok, Hana," I told her, "I'm going to bandage you up."

As I scrambled to stop the Hana's bleeding, I heard a low, maniacal laugh at my right. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Koji phasing back into view, and he had a crazed look in his eye, as well as a wide, toothy grin that stretched across his entire face. _It was him, _I realized, _he's a lot more dangerous than I originally expected…_

"See that?" Koji taunted, his voice getting louder and more frantic as his thirst for blood began taking over him, "I just injured that little girl and no one even noticed!" His evil laughter continued, but this time much louder and more frantic than before. He phased back out of view before he could even collect himself.

Nikko was seething. His fists were clenched tightly at his sides, trembling with rage. "Show yourself!" He shouted into the air, "Or are you too much of a coward?"

"Nikko!" I barked while simultaneously wrapping bandages around Hana's midriff, "Stop mouthing off, or you'll just end up getting hurt!"

"Oh yeah?" he replied in a insolent tone, "This guy's nothing but a big—"

Suddenly, Nikko halted mid-sentence when he doubled over in pain, clutching his gut in both hands as all the air was forced out of his lungs. A split second later, his head flew back as he was launched high into the air, then forced back down to the ground with a hard _thud _a split-second later_. _Nikko landed on his back, and a loud cry escaped his lips as pain shot throughout his entire body.

_Idiot! _I thought to myself, sporting a pair of intensely narrowed eyes and a mouthful of gritted teeth, _When will he learn?_

The sinister laughter continued, this time toward my left side, near Nikko. Koji did not phase back into view, but the sound of his voice allowed me to pinpoint his location. "Give it up, kid!" He shouted, "Stop acting all tough, when you know you don't even stand a _chance _against me!"

I motioned for Mai to continue dressing Hana's wound, and she instantly obliged. When Mai's hands had replaced mine on the injured girl's leaking cut, I silently rose to my feet and unsheathed my katana, immediately flowing some wind chakra into it.

"You're just wasting your energy, you little brat!" Koji continued.

_Just keep talking, _I smiled to myself, _because now I know _exactly _where you are._

Swinging my sword with all the power I could muster, I let out a loud _kiai_ as I released a burst of my own chakra from the blade. My wind chakra, taking the shape of a thin, but razor sharp, circular blade of a translucent aqua color, sliced through the air at blinding speed, the trajectory heading straight for the location that I had figured Koji was located. A low groan soon followed, and Koji reappeared as he fell to his knees, grasping his left arm tightly in his right hand.

_He managed to get away, _I thought, disappointed, _but I did injure him, even though I didn't hit any vital areas on his body. _

Nikko, whose body was still quivering from Koji's surprise attack, managed to lift himself to his feet and meander toward me. "Wow, Kaeda Sensei," he breathed, "that was totally awesome!" The boy's face tensed in pain soon after he finished talking, and his arms returned to their original spot, tightly clutching his throbbing midsection.

Not wasting any more time, I flowed more chakra into my blade and wound up for another attack. I grunted as I applied even more force into my next swing, causing the chakra blade that I had created to grow even larger, and probably even sharper, than the first. It headed straight for Koji's neck. Smiling to myself, I reassured myself that it was almost over.

"This is it," I murmured to myself.

_SLICE!_

…_Thud!_

My eyes widened in shock.

Koji, who lie on the ground, turned his head to look at me, a smirk visible from underneath the long black hair that fell over his face. "Not quite."

"He dodged it at the last second!" Nikko grunted, baffled.

Koji flipped his body around so that he was lying on his back, tossing the tree branches aside, which had been sliced by my chakra in his place. He performed a swift kip-up, and once he was back on his feet, he aligned himself so he was facing the four of us, and smiled. "Well, Kaeda," he said, "I had no idea you were such a skilled swordsman."

I narrowed my eyes at the man, bending at the knees to maintain a sturdy stance. The guy acted like he had known so much about me, like he was _shocked _that this piece of information had eluded him. I wondered how he had even known my name in the first place. As far as I could remember, I had never seen this man before, and I felt certain that, if I _had _seen him, I would have remembered him. His presence alone gave me a certain eerie feeling that I just couldn't shake, let alone his wicked grin and his evil black eyes.

"Don't waste your time trying to figure me out," Koji said in a teasing tone, interrupting my thoughts, "you'll just end up disappointing yourself. After all, you never were the brightest shinobi."

My knuckles whitened as I squeezed the handle of my katana. "Just who the hell are you, anyway?" I demanded, throwing all self-control aside, "And how the _hell _do you know so much about me?"

"Oh, Kaeda," he chuckled, smoothing his black trench coat nonchalantly, "I know just about everything there is to know about all of you. You see, I'm a researcher, the type of person who likes to study my prey before I capture it, as well as all of the people they associate closely with. Before I had chosen Toshiro as my, let's say _donor, _I researched and observed the Isami clan for weeks before finally making my decision. It wasn't until months later, after I had spent a great deal of time studying not only Toshiro, but his family, his peers, and of course _you, _Kaeda, that I finally had enough information to devise the brilliant little plan to kidnap the boy. Obviously, my methods have proved to be successful," Koji smirked, flashing a quick glance at the Isami, who lie nearly lifeless on the ground next to Koji's two associates.

"If you spent so much time _researching,_" I interrupted, emphasizing the word in a curt tone, "then what was the point in sending those two men out to size us up? Shouldn't you have already picked up on what kind of fighter he was?"

"Ah, that," Koji rolled his eyes, "well there's a simple explanation for that. You see, although I had witnessed the boy's training enough to know that he was an excellent shinobi, I had never _truly _gotten to know the full extent of his power. I had to simulate an actual fight to find that much out."

_What a creep, stalking a twelve-year-old boy, _I thought, my nostrils flaring as my lip twitched in anger, _I'm going to make him pay for this._

As if Koji had read my mind, he suddenly vanished from sight, causing the wind chakra that I had already forced into my katana to go unused. I groaned inwardly, frustrated at the man's untimely disappearance, but not wanting him to know it. There had to be some way to locate him, even if I couldn't actually _see _him. I tried to use what little talent for the sensory art I possessed to detect his chakra signature, but all I managed to pick up was the signatures of my three students, who I had gotten to know so well over a long period of time. Sighing sadly, I gave up on that idea and instead tried to think of something else that I could possibly do.

All of a sudden, it hit me.

Still wielding my sword, I replaced the wind chakra that I had previously forced into the blade with earth chakra. Then, after the switch was complete, I stabbed the long, sharp blade into the lush earth. Keeping my grip on the handle, I knelt beside my weapon and focused on pouring my chakra from the metal into the ground, hoping that I would be able to detect a disturbance in the flow as Koji began to move around the vicinity. Since the earth in this particular spot was less rocky more on the soft side, the task proved to be even more difficult than I originally expected, and I was forced to focus more intently on this one task than I would have liked.

Just when I thought this plan had been a failure as well, however, I felt a sudden disturbance in my chakra that caused my eyes to widen. The erratic pulses that I began to feel moved hurriedly in the direction of Hana and Mai. "Hana! Mai! Move, quickly!"

Mai, who had obviously just finished dressing Hana's wounds, scooped the injured girl in her arms and jumped upward onto a tree branch. The pulsing sensation halted for a moment, before it finally switched direction. "Nikko!" I shouted.

The boy understood, and sprinted out of the way of his invisible opponent. The pulsing, once again, faded. After a moment of silence, Koji's all-too-familiar wicked voice called out, "That's a cute little trick, you've got there!"

His comment was, undoubtedly, directed towards me.

"Feeling threatened?" I smirked. But that smirk of mine was quickly replaced by a feeling of fear. My heart began to race, and I desperately sent more and more chakra into my blade. I couldn't sense anything. Not even the slight rhythmic vibration that I had felt a moment ago, alerting me of his unmoving position. I was, once again, blind.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a powerful force sent my katana flying out of my hands and landing twenty feet to my right side. As I frantically searched the vicinity, hoping that my intuition was strong enough to guide me through a battle in which I was, essentially, blindfolded, I wondered what exactly had just happened. As long as he was on the ground, I should have been able to track him!

_He must have jumped, _I quickly concluded, _there was no possible way for me to detect him while in the air. This guy is definitely a sharp—_

Interrupting my thoughts, the feeling of shoe leather collided hard with the left side of my face, shooting sharp pains all throughout my body and sending me flying into the air. Managing to maintain my focus, however, I extended my arms outward to perform an improvised back handspring, saving myself from landing painfully on my back.

I shot a quick glance to each of my teammates. Nikko maintained a tough exterior, but he still slouched slightly as the pain in his gut prevented him from standing tall. Mai remained atop the tree branch, a blank expression gracing her features, as though she was so overwhelmed by this mission that she couldn't force her mind to function. Hana stood to Mai's left, leaning against the tree trunk for support. Her bandages had already sported a small pink stripe where the blood had started seeping through, but the girl wore a stern look on her face. I could tell that she was running through battle scenarios in her head, trying desperately to conjure some brilliant plan that could defeat Koji and save Toshiro. My white-haired student looked the worst of all, still lying nearly dead near the rocky hideout. As I gazed on the poor boy's bruised skin, I felt my rage quickly subdue as sadness washed over me. Toshiro was probably the nicest, most talented student I could have ever asked for, and he, in no way, deserved the suffering that he had endured. Hell, _no one _deserved a fate such as this… except, perhaps, people like Koji.

I quickly shook my thoughts away. If I was going to have any chance at all of defeating Koji, I had to focus. My eyes shifted toward my katana, which gleamed brightly against the sun's rays, as if calling for me to reclaim it. I knew that, without the aid of my weapon, I was powerless against Koji, so I resolved that that was the first thing I had to do. Slowly and silently, I began taking small steps toward the weapon, all while frantically shifting my eyes across the area in search of the man I knew I wouldn't find. I had an intense feeling of foreboding, like I was walking myself right into the lion's den, but I kept inching toward the sword anyway.

"Kaeda Sensei!" Hana managed to squeal from her post, cringing as speaking alone sent searing pain throughout her abdomen, "Watch out!"

Instantly upon hearing the girl's warning, I jumped to my right. A split second later, a loud explosion of earth erupted into the air in the exact spot that I had just been standing. I was, of course, quite confused at how the girl could have possibly known that an attack was coming when I hadn't seen, heard, or felt anything that would've suggested it. "How did you know?" I immediately asked her.

"I saw him," she panted, pointing a shaking finger downward, "in the reflection of your sword!"

I swiftly turned my head, gazing into the sword's gleaming metal blade, but saw nothing. "It was only for a split second, while he was moving," Hana told me, as if she had already known the next question brewing in my mind, "but I saw him!"

Whirling myself around, I sprinted in the direction of my sword. A bit frazzled, however, I ended up stumbling over my own shaking legs. I fell to the ground, immediately pawing at the earth as I clumsily fought closer and closer to my weapon. It was finally within reach, so I breathed a sigh of relief as I reached my arm outward…

… only to have it snatched right out from under me.

Before I could even avert my gaze, I was swept off of the ground by two pairs of very large hands. One pair gripped my wrists and the other pair my ankles, preventing me from moving away from the crazed pair of black orbs that bore into my own brown ones. I struggled against their holds, but to no avail; Koji's associates were strong, much stronger than I.

Koji held my katana delicately in his arms, as if cradling a small child. He ran a finger along the dull edge of the blade, stopping at the end to softly tap at the razor sharp edge. A small amount of blood trickled out of the pad of his index finger, causing that wide grin of his to stretch across his face. "It's sharp," he observed before bringing his finger to his lips and slowly licking the red liquid from his finger, "which means this will be quick and painless. You got lucky, Kaeda."

"Kaeda Sensei!" Hana and Nikko shouted in unison. The two seemed to completely forget about their pain in that split second of terror. The sight of Koji holding my katana in his hands, ready to thrust the sharp blade into my chest at any moment, had awakened even Mai, who had been stuck in a stupor for the majority of the battle. They sprinted toward me, eyes widened like saucers, but I could tell that even in their adrenaline-powered state, they wouldn't reach me in time. I wanted to close my eyes, but, for some reason, I just couldn't look away.

A scream filled the air.

Silence soon followed.

And then, all I could see was red.

* * *

Author's Note (Again): Um... heh *rubs neck* did I mention that this chapter _also _has a cliffhanger? I'M SORRY! *runs away*


	22. TwentyTwo: Innocence

Author's Note: Whew! This is a long one! :P  
Seriously, it's like twice as long as my chapters usually are (which I know aren't _that _long to begin with, but still).  
Thanks to MikaUchiha666, A.W.P., XXThistlexFlowerXX, Echo Uchiha, and Autumn's Rain for the awesome reviews! You guys make me so happy. :D  
I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter! It was kind of difficult to write, so I'm sorry if it's not up to par with the other chapters, but epic battle are hard to write! Haha.  
As always, reviews would be greatly appreciated. :)

**Twenty-Two: Innocence**

Red. A color symbolic of the humans' strongest of emotions, from the passion of eternal love, the ache of lustful desire, and the rage behind war and violence. Red is sensual at the same time that it is dangerous; it is sinful at the same time that it is beautiful. But the red that I was seeing was not beautiful or sensual, nor was it prosperous or joyful. No. The red that I saw was _blood._

The pool of red under my feet inched outward as the blood spilled from the wound, seeping into the lush earth and staining the grass that once was a bright and healthy green. My eyes mocked saucers, never blinking away from the scene. There was a tightness in my chest that caused a shooting pain throughout my body as my heart pounded frantically, and if my breath hadn't caught in my throat, it would have been nothing other than quick, erratic gasps. My lips quivered, my fingers trembled, and my knees wobbled under my weight. In short, it was a miracle that I was still standing.

_What… what just happened?_

Gulping down the lump in my throat, I forced myself to at least attempt to process what had happened, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from that growing pool of blood at my feet. _Is that _my _blood_? I questioned myself, realizing that, if Koji had in fact impaled me through the chest with my own sword, I actually wasn't in much pain at all. A gentle breeze caressed my face, carrying with it a pleasant aroma of the fresh outdoors mixed with a bit of musk. The leaves rustled together quietly, and I swore I even heard the restless chirping of birds. If I was dying, then death certainly came peacefully.

I forced my eyes to shift downward, expecting to see the hilt of my sword protruding from the left side of my chest. I expected to see Koji's long, bony fingers curled around that hilt, threatening at any moment to jerk the blade downward to disembowel me right before my students' still-innocent eyes. I expected to see the source of that red pool at my feet, slowly trickling out of a fresh and bloody wound. But what I _did _see instead was something that I never would have expected.

One of Koji's associates now stood where his superior had been, hunched over and clutching his chest with both of his hands. His neck was limp, hiding his face from my view, but I could still just barely see the faraway look in his eyes as he stared endlessly at the ground in front of him. Blood flowed from between his fingers, continuing down his arms and eventually dripping from his elbow, splashing into that same pool of red that I thought had belonged to me just a mere moment ago. Lying on the ground, gazing with terror-filled eyes up at the scene, was Koji. My sword no longer resided in his hands, but rather plunged into the ground a few feet to his left. No doubt, someone had tried to attack the evil man, and his loyal associate felt it his duty to protect him. But who? My students' chakra signatures remained at least twenty feet outside the perimeter, and I highly doubted that Mai, skilled as she was, had the strength to attempt to murder such a dangerous man.

Suddenly I saw a tuft of messy silver hair sticking out from behind the man, and I realized who it was.

"K-Kaka—"

"Master Koji," the injured man standing before me managed to choke from between ragged breaths, "I… I'm sorry…"

And with his final apology, he fell face-first into the bloodstained earth.

I suddenly realized that the strong hold on my ankles had been removed, so I quickly lifted my right leg to perform a back kick straight to the solar plexus of the man who still held my wrists. He doubled over, trying desperately to catch the breath that I had just knocked out of him, and as he did so, I took the opportunity to flip him over my shoulder. Once he had landed hard on the ground, I dropped to my knees, extracted a kunai from my weapons holster, and thrust the blade into his chest. The man gasped for air as he tried desperately to fight away Death, who had already begun to pull his body away from the world of the living. Sensing the sudden tension in my students' chakra, I sighed. I would have preferred to gradually ease my students, who had never witnessed death first hand, into accepting death as simply an outcome of battle, but at this point, I didn't have much of a choice. As I yanked my weapon from my victim's body, which was already growing cold with death, I hoped that my students could understand that in the shinobi world, it's kill or be killed.

Discarding the bloody knife, I jumped away from the corpse, landing beside my katana. As I reclaimed my weapon and returned it to its sheath, I stared in disbelief at the man who had saved my life. He stood in a deep front stance with his left arm, supported at the forearm by his right, held outward. His attacking hand glowed blue as electric chakra discharged from it in quick zaps extending in every direction around him, and I immediately recognized his signature technique: Raikiri. Lifting himself from his stance, he lowered his arms and stopped his chakra manipulation, causing the blue glow to disappear and the sound of chirping birds to fade. He nonchalantly flipped his silver bangs out of his eyes and gave a quick sigh. "Looks like I arrived in the knick of time," he observed.

Somehow, even after a near-death experience, I found myself amused by his statement. _Kakashi Hatake arriving on time… who would've known it was even possible…_

"Who the _hell _are you?" a very frustrated Koji demanded, hoisting himself upright. His eyes narrowed at Kakashi.

"Who, me?" The Copy Ninja replied, cocking his head to the side, "Oh, I'm not that important, really."

Kakashi's indifferent attitude obviously angered Koji, for his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides, and his lip curled, revealing his yellow teeth. Kakashi placed his own hands comfortably in his pockets and slouched his shoulders. "Don't waste your time trying to fight us now," he said to Koji, "It's one against five. If you have even an ounce of intelligence in you, you'll retreat and give Toshiro over to us."

"Kakashi!" I half-whispered-half-shouted, trying to stop my friend from continuing with his threats. Kakashi had no idea what sort of abilities the man possessed, and I knew full well that Koji would take any of Kakashi's threats as an opportunity to unleash his deadly abilities.

"What?" Kakashi asked, oblivious.

That sinister smile crept onto Koji's face once more, and I knew exactly what was about to happen. "Is that so?" he challenged, "I think I'll take my chances."

With that said, he phased out of view.

After a moment's pause, Kakashi simply averted his gaze to lock with mine. "That was strange," was all he said.

I rolled my eyes at him. "That's his special ability," I told him.

"I see," murmured Kakashi, "would you mind filling me in?"

"I don't know much about it, myself," I admitted, shifting my gaze around instinctively, even though I knew I wouldn't find the man that I was looking for, "I just know that he disappears and attacks when we can't see him. Hana saw him for a split second in the reflection of my sword, but I still don't quite understand what that was all about."

Without a word, Kakashi lifted his headband, revealing his Sharingan eye. He scanned the area, turning his body every which way so as to be sure to examine the entire vicinity. _Of course, _I thought to myself, _the Sharingan can probably see through whatever jutsu this guy is using._

Immediately disproving my theory, however, Kakashi let out a sharp grunt as he clutched his left shoulder with his right hand. The handle of a kunai jutted out from in between his index and middle fingers, and blood slowly trickled out of his fresh wound. "Damn," Kakashi muttered under his breath. He flinched in pain as he gripped the kunai handle and yanked the blade from his skin. "Even my Sharingan can't see past this jutsu…"

Shrill laughter filled the air, and I immediately recognized it to be Koji. "I don't know who you are," Koji said, obviously talking to Kakashi, "but you killed Daisuke, so now I am going to kill you slowly and painfully! And you, Kaeda. You're next for killing Hajime!"

I had to think of something. I had to figure out the trick to this guy's jutsu, and I had to be quick about it. Unsheathing my sword, I held it firmly in both hands and gazed into the reflections of the metal blade. Why did Hana see his likeness in my blade? It had to have meant something. But what?

My katana was suddenly sent flying from my grip. Koji had, once again, kicked it out of my hands. "That sword is a nuisance," he stated, "so I don't think I'll let you have it!"

There was no time to try to retrieve it. I had to keep brainstorming. "Hana," I quickly called to the girl, "Did you _only_ see Koji's reflection in my blade, or could you actually see the real him, as well?"

"Only his reflection," she responded, her voice strained from the pain in her abdomen.

"Agh!" Kakashi groaned, this time clutching his forearm. This time, instead of stabbing a weapon into his arm, Koji used the blade to slice all the way along the length of his lower arm.

_Shit, _I cursed myself, _I have to think, and fast!_

If Hana had only seen Koji in my blade, then did that mean that his jutsu doesn't cover up his own reflections? I stared into my metal blade, twisting it in my hands to explore the entirety of the surrounding area. I didn't see anything other than the mirror images of the foliage and rocks around me, so I immediately tossed that idea aside. Besides, if reflections truly were the key, then Hana would have been able to see him the entire time that he was running toward me, rather than for just a split second. So then, what else could have caused him to become visible for that split second? What was different about that blade, as opposed to our own eyes? The only thing that I could think of was that its position was different than that of everyone else…

My eyes widened with realization.

_That's it!_

"Kakashi!" I shouted at my friend, "quick, make as many shadow clones as you can!"

Kakashi didn't question me. He simply performed the necessary hand seals, and, in a puff of white smoke, about ten shadow clones appeared. I did the same, but I, having more chakra than Kakashi, created fifteen.

I called out to my fellow teammates. "Nikko, Mai, and Hana, if you feel up to it, come join us."

_I really hope my plan works…_

"What are we doing?" Nikko immediately asked.

"I want everyone to form a large circle around the area! If you see Koji, even for just a split second, I want you to _immediately _throw a kunai or shuriken at him! But make sure you let everyone else know before you do so, that way, if you miss, we will at least know to dodge the weapon. Does everyone understand?"

With answers of "yes" and affirmative nods, the group dispersed and began aligning themselves into a circle that enclosed the area, just as I had instructed. Koji's shrill laughter filled the air once again, and in a condescending tone he shouted, "Whatever you're planning, just give it up! You'll never defeat me!"

I narrowed my eyes defiantly. _We'll see about that…_

"Uh, Kae," I heard one of the Kakashis whisper from beside me, "Mind telling me what's going on?"

I didn't know whether or not this was the real Kakashi, but I answered his inquiry anyway. "I think I figured out the secret of his jutsu," I told him, "My theory is, that this is some sort of light-manipulation jutsu in which he refracts waves of light away from his body, causing him to become 'invisible.' But I believe that there is a limitation to his jutsu. He can't refract light from every possible angle all at once, meaning there are certain angles in which he is still visible. Understand?"

"So, we're standing in a circle in order to view him from multiple different angles?" This Kakashi asked.

"Exactly," I nodded, "and if I'm correct, we'll be able to spot him at some point."

"I don't know what you're doing," Koji confessed, a hint of annoyance in his voice, "but it doesn't matter, because I'm going to kill you all! The Kiseigan _will _be mine!"

"Kakashi Sensei, watch out!" Nikko shouted from the opposite side of the circle, "He's coming!" As I had ordered, Nikko quickly pulled a kunai out of his holster and whipped it toward one of the Kakashis to his right. Obviously a clone, and obviously having been attacked by Koji, he vanished into a puff of smoke. The kunai that Nikko had thrown, however, continued right through newly vacant spot, piercing the trunk of a tree ten feet away.

_Nikko missed, _I thought, _but he saw him, which means that I was right about his jutsu._

_"Just a clone," Koji observed, "That's ok! I can do this all day, if I have to!"_

A split-second later, I could hear Mai's voice calling out that she too had seen him. She threw a kunai toward the opposite side that Nikko had thrown his. This time, the weapon flew directly in between two of my clones and stuck into the ground. Another failed attempt. One of my clones then dispersed into smoke, obviously having been attacked by Koji. I was thankful that Koji couldn't somehow tell the difference between our shadow clones and our real selves, for that could have been me just a second ago.

"When will you give up?" Koji demanded, "I have the ultimate jutsu! You will never beat it!" His maniacal laughter picked back up, and the changing pitch of his voice alerted me that he was on the move again.

As the minutes passed, there were more sightings, but all successive attacks had failed. Koji managed to take out nearly all of Kakashi's and my shadow clones, and I was starting to think that maybe my plan wasn't going to work after all; however, my eyes befell Toshiro's lifeless body, and a hidden flame had ignited within me. _No, _I told myself, _I _can't _give up. Toshiro needs me. Hell, _all _my students are counting on me right now. And I can't forget Mai and Kakashi. They have risked their lives to help me, so the least I can do is keep fighting until there's nothing left to give. I just have to focus…_

I took a deep breath in and then exhaled slowly, closing my eyes for just a moment. When I opened my eyes, I was shocked at what I had seen. Koji was mere inches from my body, a wicked grin plastered on his face, and a kunai pointed directly at my heart. My eyes widened in surprise. A second ago, I had seen absolutely nothing, and now, all of a sudden, Death himself stood directly in front of me. My heart pounded furiously in my chest, and all connection between my mind and body was lost as I stood frozen in fear. As I stood paralyzed and terrified, I felt the sudden urge to pray. I prayed that Death would be merciful, granting me a quick and easy passage from the world of the living into the realm of the dead. I prayed that my teammates, especially poor Toshiro, could forgive me for letting them down. But what I prayed for most fervently was that Kakashi, who had been my best friend since I was a child, could somehow know the truth. The truth about how I really felt about him.

I wanted Kakashi to know that I loved him more than anything else in the world.

Suddenly, the small flame that had previously been awakened within me burst into a massive inferno, stirring within me a sea of emotion ranging everywhere from passion to rage. I decided that I was not ready to accept death, and I was foolish to have even thought that I was. My fear finally melting away, I willed my feet to sidestep Koji's attack and my hands to simultaneously capture his arm and lock it in a joint-manipulation technique. Catching him off guard, I took the opportunity to drive my knee into his gut, and when I had him gasping for the air that escaped him, I swept his feet out from under him, driving him to the ground.

By the time it was over, I had hardly even known what had happened, for it had all happened so fast. The expression that Koji now wore on his face was a mixture of confusion and terror, and I'm sure my expression conveyed the same exact emotions.

Koji struggled against my hold, so I increased the pressure of the joint-lock, earning a sharp cry of pain in response. "How the… how the _hell _did you see me in front of you?" He demanded, the threat in his voice quickly dissipating as fear took over.

"It's because your jutsu wore off."

My head whirled into the direction of the new voice, recognizing it but too unsure of myself to trust my identification. When my eyes confirmed my instinct, my jaw dropped as I stared in awe.

With his white ponytail drooping, tiny strands of hair falling into his dirty face, bruises covering his pale skin, and rips and tears in his clothing, I could barely recognize him. But his glowing neon green eyes assured me that this was, in fact, Toshiro Isami.

"Toshiro!" Hana and Nikko shouted in unison, sprinting toward their comrade. The two of them simultaneously engulfed him in a group hug, which Toshiro timidly returned.

Koji, however, wasn't quite so happy to see the awakened Isami. "What do you mean, my jutsu wore off? And how are you even able to _move _right now?"

Hana and Nikko released Toshiro from their arms so the boy could step forward and explain himself. "I _mean _that you didn't have enough chakra, so your jutsu wore off at the last second."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Koji asserted, "I should have had _plenty _of chakra to continue that jutsu for at least another twenty minutes!"

"Don't tell me you forgot already," Toshiro said to Koji, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Forgot what?"

"We fought when you first tried to kidnap me, and I ended up puncturing one of your chakra points."

I smiled at my student. _So all this time…_

"I've been slowly absorbing your chakra throughout the entire course of this match," the white-haired boy continued, "I only made you think that I was knocked unconscious so you wouldn't suspect it, then carelessly use your chakra to keep that jutsu of yours going."

"You little brat!"

I pressed harder against Koji's pressure points, causing him to yelp loudly and attempt to squirm away from my hold. I couldn't believe how incredibly intelligent Toshiro was. First he led us along with the tiny fragments of his jacket, and now he surprises me by slowly draining away the enemy's chakra without him noticing. Saying that I was proud of him would have been an understatement. Hell, it was because of him that I was still _alive._

"You will never have the Kiseigan," Toshiro finally continued as his glowing emerald eyes faded to their usual dark sapphire, "and besides, even if you did succeed in swapping your eyes with mine, you still wouldn't be able to use the Kiseigan to its full power."

"But… the seal—"

"While you were right about _most _of what you said about the Chains of Eternity Seal," Toshiro interrupted, "the seal is bound to the _eyes, _not to the soul. Anyone who possesses these eyes is forever restrained from unleashing their true power."

Koji's eyes widened in realization that his whole plan was a failure from the very beginning. His mouth parted as he searched for the words to say in response, but nothing came to mind. He simply lie there in a stupor, waiting for his next big disappointment.

"Kae," I heard Kakashi whisper from beside me. I knew what he was going to say without even having to ask.

"I know," I replied, my eyes slowly making their way toward my three students. They all looked so happy to be reunited. Even after all they had been through, I still saw them as being very innocent, and, though I knew the cruel shinobi world would destroy that innocence eventually, I didn't want them to lose it just yet.

Kakashi knelt beside me, offering me my sword. "They're full-fledged shinobi now," he told me, as if reading my mind, "they're going to have to get used to it."

Sighing, I took the sword from his hands and held it firmly in my hands.

"Please," Koji begged, "Please don't kill me!" But his words had no effect on me. So many times had I ignored the peas for mercy, and so many times had I simply ignored them to kill without even caring. What caused me to hesitate for a moment wasn't Koji, but rather those three Genin that I had grown to care so much about.

"Mai," I finally said, turning my eyes to find hers.

The girl looked back at me, silently urging me to continue.

"Take Hana, Toshiro, and Nikko away from here. We'll catch up with you in a few."

She understood, and immediately did as I said. I waited until they were out of earshot before I finally lifted my katana above the man and plunged the sharp blade into his chest with ease. Koji was killed instantly.

I released the man and rose to my feet. "I just couldn't do it," I whispered, my gaze fixed on the ground in front of me, "I've already destroyed enough of their innocence for one day."

"I know," Kakashi replied, running his fingers softly across my back, "It's ok."

Kakashi pulled me into his arms, engulfing me in a warm embrace. I immediately wrapped my arms around his middle, pressing my face into the crook of his neck and breathing in his familiar musky scent. After such a demanding battle, being in Kakashi's arms felt like Heaven. I could have stayed like that forever, but when I felt his lips press gently against the top of my head, suddenly I remembered what had gone through my mind earlier as I prayed. In that moment, I had realized just how much I loved Kakashi. I realized that, out of everything and everyone in my life, he was the most important. This realization caused my body to stiffen against my will. "What's wrong?" Kakashi asked.

I pulled away from him, my eyes instantly focusing on the ground. "We should get going," I lied.

Picking up my sword and sheathing it, I turned on my heel and began to depart, leaving Kakashi to trail slightly behind me. Deciding that I was probably just caught up in the moment, I pushed those thoughts aside for now. I _did _think that I was dying, after all.

When we finally caught up with the rest of the group, Toshiro turned to me, flashing me big round ocean eyes. "Kaeda Sensei?"

"Hmm?" I urged him to continue.

He hesitated for a moment. "I… I just wanted to say thank you."

I was a bit surprised by Toshiro's sudden shyness, but I couldn't help but smile at him. The boy was always so polite, even when he had no reason to be. "No, Toshiro," I said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Thank _you_."


	23. TwentyThree: The Morning After

Author's Note: Hey everyone! Wow, I can't believe the epic battle is over! Which means the story is almost finished. :(  
Don't worry, this isn't the last chapter, haha. That would be just too sad.  
Thanks to BlackRose723, Echo Uchiha, and A.W.P for the lovely reviews! You guys are great, as always! :D  
I hope you all enjoy chapter twenty-three! It was a lot easier to write than the last few. :P  
As always, reviews would be greatly appreciated!

**Twenty-Three: The Morning After**

When I awoke the next morning, I couldn't help but wonder if it had all been a dream. A crazy, messed up nightmare that somehow ended in my favor. My eyelids twitched as sleep abandoned me, the intense sunlight forcing them to squint until my eyes could adjust. The morning seemed calm enough for my suspicions to be plausible, but my entire body felt so incredibly fatigued that I just wasn't sure. Could a nightmare of that caliber be enough to exhaust me on its own? I raised my hands to my face to wipe the crust from the corners of my eyes, sighing tiredly as I did so. When I pulled them away, however, I noticed a light purplish tint to the skin around my wrists like handprints; a quick flashback was all it took to provide an answer to my dilemma.

_So, _I thought to myself, _it wasn't a dream, after all._

Groaning as I tried to ignore my screaming muscles, I hoisted myself upright in my bed and pulled my knees to my chest. I could barely remember anything that had happened after my fight with Koji. The only thing that resurfaced as I thought back was bringing Toshiro to the hospital to have his wounds treated. Both Hana and Kakashi were also admitted for the injuries they had received, but Nikko, Mai, and I were all well enough to have been discharged after the nurses had monitored our vital organs and chakra levels. I was lucky enough to have escaped without any injuries at all, but that would have all been very different if Kakashi hadn't shown up when he did.

I was grateful that Kakashi had arrived in time to save me, but I couldn't help feeling bitter about the whole situation. I certainly hadn't handled the fight as well as I should have. If I had assessed the situation quicker, I wouldn't have gotten myself in such a situation. Not only was I irritated with my lacking deductive skills, but also I was sort of embarrassed that my students had seen my complete and utter failure out on the battlefield first hand. The fact that I even _needed _saving showed that I was incompetent, and I _hated _feeling incompetent.

"Don't worry so much,"

Gasping in shock, I shot my eyes toward the direction of the voice, which, not surprisingly, had come from my open window. I guess I should have known that it would have been Kakashi there, perched on the windowsill with his arms resting on his knees and his silvery hair falling over his face, but I still hadn't expected it. "What do you mean?" I asked him, instinctively covering my exposed legs with my comforter, "And what are you doing here, anyway? Shouldn't you be resting in the hospital?"

"First of all," he began, hopping into my room and shoving his hands into his pockets, "You should know by now that I can read you like a book. I can see the wheels turning in your head. You're thinking about what happened yesterday, and I'm telling you to quit worrying about it. It's all over now."

I glared into my lap, squeezing my sheets in my hands as they formed tight fists under the blanket. I guess I didn't really expect him to understand, being a genius and all, but it still bugged me that he didn't. "Yeah," I grumbled, "Well you weren't the one who looked like a helpless fool in front of your own students."

My eyes remained fixed on the fabric of my blanket, so I couldn't his reaction to what I had said. "Would you rather I let you die?" he asked me. It seemed like a genuine question, rather than a sarcastic one.

"No, that's not what I'm saying," I sighed, releasing the tension in my hands. I fought to come up with the words to explain exactly how I was feeling in a way that he would understand. "I guess I'm just frustrated with myself. I shouldn't have let Koji and his associates get to me like that…"

Suddenly, I felt my mattress shift as Kakashi took a seat next to me. He put a hand on my shoulder, and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. I peeked my eyes upward and noticed a smile in his visible black eye. "Kae," he said, "You are too hard on yourself. You focus on your one fault, and fail to remember all the good you did on that mission. After all, you were the one who organized the whole rescue mission in the first place. Even though Lady Tsunade told you not to go, you valued your student's life more than you valued the order of your superior. That alone was a great success for you, because if you hadn't followed your heart, then Toshiro might not be safe in the village right now."

I listened intently as he explained it all to me, and, though my pessimism told me that he was just trying to make me feel better, a small part of me noted the sincere tone of his voice, reassuring me that he was telling me the honest truth, or at least how he viewed it. "Not to mention your amazing analytical skills," he continued, "You were the only one, out of all of us, who managed to uncover the secret behind Koji's jutsu. If you hadn't figured it out when you did, we all could have got seriously injured, or even killed. So, in a way, you were the real hero, Kae."

I hadn't thought of it that way, but, then again, that was expected considering I had always been extremely negative. It was just like Kakashi to pick me up when I was feeling down. His words of encouragement had given me just the amount of assurance that I needed to shove away enough of my negativity to allow a smile to find its way onto my lips. "Thanks, Kakashi," I whispered, leaning backward to rest my head on his shoulder as I let my eyes fall close, "I can always count on you."

Wrapping his arms around my middle, he replied, "Anytime."

His body was so warm and comfortable that I almost felt like falling back to sleep right then and there, but I knew that I had to get up and about so I could visit Toshiro and Hana at the hospital. As I slid out of his arms and off of my bed, I remembered my original question. "By the way," I groaned as I stretched my aching body, "You never told me why you're here and not in the hospital."

I listened to his response as I traveled to my closet in search of clean clothes. "My injuries were mild. Even though I only needed some stitches and bandages, they kept me overnight because they insisted that they needed to be completely sure that I was stable before they could release me. I was discharged this morning."

Pulling out a simple black t-shirt and some faded jean shorts, I closed my closet door and asked, "And you came straight here?"

"Well, I had nothing better to do," was his reply.

"I see," I laughed, heading toward the bathroom, "I'm going to take a quick shower. Make yourself comfortable, but _behave._"

"Aw," he pouted, and I laughed even though I fully expected that exact response.

I tossed my clothes to the ground as I entered the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind me. I then turned on the water, allowing it to warm up before I finally decided to jump in. Sighing against the sensation of the steam against my skin, I began lathering my body with soap, anxious to remember what cleanliness had felt like. My mind instantly began to wander in its relaxed state, and I closed my eyes as I leaned against the wall of the shower for support. Hazy scenes of yesterday's battle replayed like a movie inside my head, playing backward from the later occurrences, like killing Koji, to the more earlier ones, like packing my things in my room.

I was just rinsing the shampoo from my long hair as I remembered what I had done in my room before I had left, causing my eyes to burst open and the soapy liquid to flow right into them. Inhaling sharply as I felt the stinging sensation, I began furiously rubbing my tightly closed eyes with the backs of my hands and splashing water into them, cursing myself for being such an idiot. After about a minute of this, the pain finally began to subside, so I slowly lifted my eyelids and rested my forehead against the wall of the shower in front of me, my previous thoughts instantly crashing back into my mind.

_That night, before I left… I kissed Kakashi._

I couldn't believe that I had forgotten, but I wasn't exactly grateful to have remembered. Now that I was conscious of what I had done, I knew that it was only going to cause me to feel extremely awkward around him, and what made the whole situation worse was the fact that Kakashi was in my bedroom, so it wasn't like I could avoid him. How could he act so calm and cool around me after what had happened, while I was so worried about it? Could it be that he had forgotten? A part of me wished that he had, for it would mean that I wouldn't have to worry about it ever being brought up in conversation, however another part of me hoped that he hadn't, for I'd like to think that kissing me would have been memorable for him. In fact, I hoped that the kiss wasn't just memorable, but _good. _

Turning off the water, I forced myself back to reality. "What am I thinking?" I whispered to myself as I grabbed a towel and began drying off, "Where is this all coming from?"

Slipping into my clean clothes, I walked to the sink and peered back at my reflection in the mirror. I noticed that the skin of the entire left side of my face was a light bluish-purple, and I instantly remembered getting kicked by Koji in that exact spot. I traced my fingers along the bruised area, flinching slightly against the pain, and decided against trying to cover it up. As I ran a comb through my long locks, my original question resurfaced to the front of my mind, and I tried to come up with an answer to it. Why was I so fixated on this kiss? It really shouldn't have been this big of a deal, but I just couldn't help but make it a big deal. What had even possessed me to kiss him in the first place?

Suddenly, as if my subconscious was responding to my question, my dying thoughts from yesterday flooded back into my mind.

_I love him more than anything else in the world._

Putting my hair into a low ponytail, I whispered to my reflection, "Am I really _in love _with him?"

"Hey," I heard a muffled voice call from behind the bathroom door, "Did you die in there, Kae?"

My heart raced. _Kakashi._

"Um, n-no," I forced myself to reply, "I'll be out in a second!"

Taking one last look in the mirror to make sure I looked acceptable, I heaved a large sigh before turning on my heel and exiting the bathroom. My eyes caught sight of his, and I quickly averted them away, instantly cursing myself for doing so. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks, so I turned my head away to hide from his view. "I'm going to go visit Toshiro and Hana at the hospital," I promptly explained, rushing past him to step into my shoes.

"I'll go with you," he offered.

"No, that's ok," I shot back, "I-I'll just talk to you later." And without looking back, I leapt from my bedroom window to the streets below.

All the way to the hospital, I fought endlessly with my own mind as I tried to forget about what had just happened, but my inner dialogue was persistent in reminding me of how much of a fool I must have looked. I decided to sprint to my destination, not as a training exercise, but rather a desperate attempt to clear my mind. Luckily my burning muscles gave me something else to think about, and I wasn't bothered with thoughts of Kakashi or my own stupidity for the duration of the trip.

In five minutes, I had arrived at the hospital. The woman at the front desk told me that my students were sharing a room on the third floor, room 310, and when I asked how they were doing, she happily replied that they were both in stable condition and that they would be discharged by tomorrow morning. I was relieved. Thanking the woman, I spun around to begin heading for the elevator.

Room 310 wasn't too far from the elevator, so I arrived rather quickly. As I placed my hand on the doorknob, I wondered if either Hana or Toshiro would even be awake at this time. I wouldn't have been surprised if they were still sleeping, seeing as their injuries were pretty bad. I twisted the handle and pushed the door open anyway, deciding that I would just make this a quick visit either way. When I entered the room, I noticed that all of the lights were turned off and the blinds were closed, allowing only a few beams of sunshine to peak through the spaces. The only sounds filling the room were the soft beeps coming from the machines that monitored both Hana's and Toshiro's vitals. I stepped further into the room to see that they were both fast asleep. I couldn't help but smile at how peaceful they looked despite the tubes emerging from their nostrils and the needles poking into their arms. For the first time since meeting them, I could actually see their youth in their faces, and realizing just how small they really were was eye opening to me. For being so young, they certainly were strong and capable shinobi, and I was extremely proud of them.

I knelt in between the two beds, turning toward the right to face Hana's sleeping form. I gently placed my hand on hers and smiled. "Hana," I whispered, "You handled yourself well out there. Even though you got injured, you didn't give up, just like in our training exercise a while back. If it wasn't for your noticing Koji's reflection in my sword, I wouldn't have been able to figure out his jutsu, and our mission might not have been a success. You've grown into an excellent kunoichi, and I am proud to be able to call you my student."

The girl, still asleep, didn't respond, yet, even though I knew she probably didn't hear a word I had said, I swore I saw a slight hint of a smile appear on her lips.

I then turned to Toshiro and brushed a strand of hair out of his face and tucked it behind his ear. "Toshiro, you are such a talented shinobi," I said softly, "I always knew that you were strong and intelligent just by watching you train, but yesterday, I really got to see it first hand in a real-life situation. I can't even begin to tell you how impressed I am with you. There's no doubt in my mind that you are a great asset to Konoha's shinobi forces. I'm so proud of you, and I only wish that I could be able to say that I taught you even _a quarter _of what you know now. But, in reality, you haven't needed much of my help at all to become as amazing as you are."

Just as I was about to stand up and leave my students to their rest, I heard a weak voice murmur, "Thank you, Kaeda Sensei."

I turned my head to see the white-haired boy gazing back at me through tired eyes, a small smile on his lips.

"You don't have to thank me," I smiled, "Every word that I just said to you is the truth."

"No," he said, "I mean… thank you for saving my life."

"Toshiro," I sighed, furrowing my eyebrows, "don't you remember? It was because of you that I was even able to counter his attacks. In reality, it was _you _who saved _my _life. I'm the one who should be thanking you."

"You don't understand," he argued, his weak voice barely above a whisper, "I used every bit of strength I had to drain away his chakra, and it still took me as long as it did. If you hadn't come along when you did, that guy… he probably would have killed me. It was because you stalled him by fighting that I was able to finish the job."

"I see," I replied, averting my gaze to my lap.

"I guess I'm not so strong anymore, huh…"

I shot my eyes upward to meet his, furrowing my brows in confusion. "Of course you're strong," I told him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "A weak person would have just given up in your situation. A weak person wouldn't have fought as hard as you did. You, on the other hand, kept going even when the odds were against you. You didn't give up, and, in the end, you came out victorious. So don't you _ever _say that you aren't strong, because it just isn't true."

The life in his eyes returned as he smiled back at me. Ruffling his hair with my right hand, I stood up and returned the smile. "Get some rest, Toshiro," I finally told him while turning on my heel.

"Thank you, Kaeda Sensei," the boy repeated.

Looking over my shoulder, I replied, "You're welcome."

As I exited the room, my eyes widened as I came face-to-face with someone that I really wasn't looking forward to seeing. No, it wasn't Kakashi. Think opposite sex, blonde hair, brown eyes, high heels, and a quick temper. "Kaeda," she said.

"Lady Hokage," I sighed, preparing myself for the punishment that I was sure to come.

"You disobeyed a direct order," she stated in a voice so calm that it scared me, "You left the village when I specifically told you to stay behind."

"Yes, Ma'am," I admitted, shoving my hands in my pockets in an attempt to appear nonchalant, when, in reality, I was terrified beyond all belief. What was she going to do to me? When was she going to start yelling?

"What were you thinking?" She snapped, placing her hands angrily on her hips.

I already missed the calm before the storm.

"You could have gotten yourself killed, or worse, you could have gotten your _students _killed! Do you know how much trouble I could have gotten into if those Genin had died out there? Regardless of how strong you view them to be, they are still too young to be taking on such high-ranking missions! I will not tolerate such irresponsible and irrational thinking, and as long as I am Hokage, you will _listen _and _obey _my orders from now on! Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Lady Hokage," I responded quietly, "I take full responsibility."

"You're damned right, you do! I ought to suspend you—no, I ought to revoke your shinobi privileges for what you have done!"

I was dreading this moment, but I knew the moment I left Konoha that I would be punished. It was time for me to suffer the consequences for my actions. I had to remind myself, though, that no matter what happened, I had brought Toshiro safely back to the village, and that was all that really mattered.

Tsunade sighed, letting her eyes close and her hands to fall limp at her sides. "Well done, Kaeda."

My eyes snapped open. _What did she just say?_

The expression on my face must have been enough of an answer, for she resumed speaking even after I had said nothing. "You found Toshiro before the ANBU teams I had sent out could. It was because you chose to follow your instincts that Toshiro is safe, and even though you disobeyed me, I can't help but overlook that in recognition of that fact. I should have known that you, having trained Toshiro since he graduated from the Academy, would have been the best person to send out to search for him. But you have to understand, I had already sent out the ANBU teams before you had even returned from your previous mission, and I didn't want to risk losing any more valuable shinobi than absolutely necessary."

I was still shocked that she was actually praising me for what I had done when, a mere moment ago, she had been yelling at me and threatening punishment. In fact, was still bracing for the impact of having my shinobi privileges revoked.

"You can relax," she finally laughed, breaking a bit of the tension in the air, "I'm not going to punish you."

"Really?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"Really," she confirmed, "but I promise you that the next time you disobey me, I won't be so forgiving."

The stern look on her face told me that she was being completely serious, so I fought back the urge to smile and chuckle in response. Instead, I choked out a "thank you" before I bowed graciously and turned on my heel to depart. I could hear the door to Toshiro and Hana's room being opened, and without turning back to look, I assumed that Lady Tsunade had come to the hospital to check on my Genin.

When I was reunited with Konoha's fresh outdoor air, I was finally able to relax my body, which had been tensed since I had first spotted Lady Hokage. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief when the realization had finally occurred to me that I was not going to be punished for my actions. I still couldn't believe it, even though I had heard Lady Tsunade say it to me herself. I just couldn't believe that she could be so forgiving. Deciding against pinching myself to test whether or not I was dreaming, I realized that, even if I was dreaming, I would rather not wake up.

Dream or not, it was too good to risk ending so soon.


	24. TwentyFour: No Turning Back

Author's Note: Wow, sorry this is a bit late. I was having some troubles uploading it yesterday. :(  
But, this is the longest chapter yet, so hopefully that makes up for it! I've noticed that I have been writing longer chapters lately. I'm not really even making a conscious effort to do it or anything, it just kind of happens! :) Hopefully it becomes a regular habit, so I can give you guys more to look forward to with each chapter!  
Thanks to invisible-gurl, Echo Uchiha, MikaUchiha666, A.W.P., ObeseOrange, NyxNightmare, and xYuzuki17x for the amazing reviews! You guys never fail to make me smile. :)  
Anyway, enough with this A/N, enjoy chapter twenty-four, lovelies!  
As always, reviews would be greatly appreciated! :D

**Twenty-Four: No Turning Back**

The sun was high in the bright blue sky, beating down on my slightly burnt skin even in my hiding spot in the shade. Sweat trickled from my brow, leaving its salty trail down my cheeks and then dripping off of my chin. There was no breeze to provide relief from the heat, only the occasional moment when the sun took refuge behind a cloud, which was a lot less often than I would have liked.

I peered out from the bush that I had retreated behind, careful not to make any noise. _Where are they? _I thought to myself, squinting my eyes against the bright sunlight. The field was empty, not a soul in sight. Only a sea of freshly cut green grass and a forest of trees surrounding it. My ears perked up when I had finally heard a sound permeating the silence, but I groaned in a mixture of disappointment and frustration when I recognized it to be the loud buzzing of cicadas in the distance. I had to fight the urge to tap my feet restlessly against the ground as impatience quickly settled in. _Waiting. _That was always the worst part.

Lifting the collar of my shirt to my face, I began wiping the sweat from my skin. The heather grey fabric became almost black by the time I had returned it to its original position, but my neck and chest were already so sweaty that I couldn't even feel a difference. _Are they trying to sweat me out? _I wondered.

Suddenly, a slight rustle in the leaves sounded.

I narrowed my eyes. _Still no breeze…_

Searching for the source of the sound, I whirled myself around and searched the vicinity. I lifted my eyes to the treetops. _There!_

Finally, I was face-to-face with my opponent.

I blocked the punch that came straight for my face, and I directed the momentum to my right, sending the attacker colliding into the ground. He was well-trained, however, and was able to quickly maneuver a front-handspring out of the throw. He leapt back toward me to send a powerful kick to the backs of my knees, but I skillfully jumped upward to grasp a tree branch directly above me. I flipped myself around to balance on the thin branch, and I gazed back at my opponent. His blonde bangs matted against his face, which was drenched in sweat. He held his bandaged arms up in front of his face, clenching his hands into tight fists and peering between them with determined eyes.

A split second later, I managed to pick up the very slight sound of air being sliced by, what I guessed to be, projectile weaponry. My eyes darted to the right to find two kunai speeding toward me. I managed to leap to a nearby branch in just the knick of time, leaving the knives to plunge deep into the bark of the tree's trunk. I inhaled a deep breath and then released a heavy sigh of relief. _That was a close one… _

_Wait a minute, _I suddenly thought to myself, _did I smell something… burning?_

I twirled myself around, sending extra chakra to my feet for balance. Stuck to the trunk of this tree was a paper bomb, and it was about ready to ignite. A jolt of surprise shot through my chest as I immediately vacated the scene, dropping to the ground just in time to avoid a massive explosion. The top half of the tree was sent crashing to the ground beside me, sending a large cloud of dust upward to obscure my vision. _Damnit… now I can't see a thing…_

Forming a series of hand seals, I concentrated my chakra into my hands and feet. I began spinning rapidly in tight circles as I stretched my hands out to my sides. "Wind Style: Dust Devil Jutsu!" I called out. I sent small bursts of wind chakra out of my hands as I twirled around, instantly clearing the air around me of any unwanted particles. When I stopped spinning, I was finally able to see again, but what I saw caused my eyes to widen and whatever relief that I had felt to immediately escape me.

_Oh shit._

Charging towards me was not just one of my opponents, not even just _two _of my opponents, but _three. _Three sets of narrowed eyes, glaring at me with fierce determination; three sets of clenched fists, ready to attack once they were within range; and three sets of sharpened minds, willing and able to counter any challenge that I could have possibly thrown back at them. Deciding that I might as well humor them with a fight, I provoked them with a smirk as I dropped into a sturdy fighting stance. It was three against one. I liked those odds.

The blonde, being rather impulsive, lunged forward for the first attack, which I sidestepped with ease. The middle opponent, the brown-haired girl, jumped into the air, aiming a flying side kick toward my face. I figured I would duck and avoid it (it seemed like a simple solution), however, when my eyes flashed downward, I noticed that my third opponent, this one with white hair, had kneeled downward to sweep my ankles, his attack in perfect sync with that of his teammate's. I admitted to myself that this combined effort was rather intelligent, but it wasn't enough to outsmart me. I jumped to avoid the sweep, but I managed to twist my body so that I was oriented horizontally, rather than vertically. The inversion was enough to avoid both attacks, and as I came out of my spin, I had enough momentum to throw two kicks toward both of my opponents.

I landed on the ground with ease, chuckling as the two shinobi tumbled down to earth. Suddenly, however, a puff of white smoke appeared around them, and when it cleared, it revealed two small stumps that immediately fell to the ground. _A substitution!_

My attention was soon averted to the treetops as I, once again, heard the faint sound of rustling leaves when there was no gust of wind to accompany it. All three opponents now lunged toward me from above, each attacking from different angles. I quickly caught the brown-haired girl reaching into the weapons holster attached to her right leg, so I was able to anticipate the attack and leap backwards as soon as she sent the array of shuriken flying towards me. The blades stuck into the lush earth, slicing the grass with ease. I performed a couple of back handsprings to create even more distance, but I was soon caught off guard by a pair of hands grasping the fabric of my Jonin vest from behind me. Confused, I peered over my left shoulder to catch a glimpse of spiky white hair before I was shoved to the ground. _The one in the air must have been just a clone…_

I smirked. _ Smart boy._

By the time my back and the grass had collided, I noticed that all three of my opponents now hovered above me. The white haired boy kept a strong grip on me, preventing my escape. The girl kneeled beside me, placing a kunai against my throat, just barely allowing the sharp metal blade to graze my skin. My third opponent, the blonde, being somewhat cocky, rested his right foot on top of my stomach and crossed his arms over his chest in a triumphant pose. He looked downward and flashed me a smug grin. "Looks like we finally beat you, Kaeda Sensei!"

Smirking back at him, I concentrated my chakra as I formed a hand seal without drawing any attention towards my actions. When my jutsu was ready, I vanished into a puff of white smoke, immediately earning a chorus of dejected groans from the shinobi as I teleported out of their grasp.

I reappeared approximately ten feet away. "Damnit!" Nikko, the ever-impulsive blonde grumbled as he stomped his foot hard against the earth.

"That's enough training for today, everyone," I sighed, wiping even more sweat from my brow, "Grab some water from the cooler and let's take a rest in the shade."

My students, tired from an intense training session, did as they were told, and we immediately took refuge beneath a large tree that shielded us from the sun. They gulped down their entire water bottles in a matter of seconds, but I couldn't blame them. It was unbearably hot out, and they had worked extremely hard despite the heat.

"You showed excellent teamwork and strategic skills out there today," I told them, resting my back against the tree trunk, "You attacked intelligently, rather than simply relying on brute strength. That will serve you well during the Chunin Exams."

I had made the decision to nominate the members of Squad Thirteen for the Chunin Exams after their incredible performance during the rescue mission, which was now around two weeks into the past. I expected my students, being straight out of the Academy and not having much world experience, to be somewhat nervous and unsure when I had broken the news to them. They surprised me, however, by responding to the news with ecstatic cries of joy and never-ending thank-you's and promises that they would pass with flying colors. I was glad that they were excited, because I truly believed that they would make incredible Chunin. Plus, their eagerness made training them a lot easier. Even Nikko, who was typically over-confident and unwilling to listen to any sort of constructive criticism, looked forward to my training regimens and welcomed any sort of help that I could offer. He had grown the most dramatically out of the three.

"I do have a few pointers for you, though," I continued.

Their eyes, drooping with exhaustion, alerted toward me, eager to hear what I had to say.

"First," I said, holding up my right index finger, "You need to work on moving more quietly. I was able to find out where you were coming from just by listening to your movements. Increase your stealth and you'll increase your chances of landing a successful attack on your opponent."

Their heads nodded in approval, and I could see that they each made a mental note to be more aware the next time.

"Second," I held both my index and middle fingers upward this time, "Don't _ever _hold back on your final attacks. You got me pinned down, but you hesitated in actually _finishing_ the fight. Because of that, I was able to get away."

"We won't hold back during the Chunin Exams," Nikko proclaimed, "That's for sure!"

Hana and Nikko nodded in agreement, determined looks in their bright eyes.

I smiled at my students, proud that they were taking their training so seriously. "Let's call it a day," I decided, lifting myself to my feet and immediately stretching my arms over my head, "Think about what I've told you. We'll meet here again tomorrow at seven o'clock in the morning."

My students bowed respectfully to me before turning to hurry home. I watched them as they ran. They had grown so much in these last couple of weeks. Not only were they physically stronger from the intense daily training regimens, but they also showed more mental and emotional maturity as well. They were a good team before, sure, but they were so in sync with each other now that they were able to quickly establish strategies to compliment every one of their unique talents. They were now an _amazing _team of well-rounded shinobi, and I was certain that they would each achieve the rank of Chunin.

When they had sprinted out of sight, I sighed and kneeled down to lift the cooler, which was now, thankfully, a lot lighter than in was this morning when it was stocked with water bottles and snacks, onto my shoulder. I began heading for home, satisfied with the day's training.

For the past two weeks, I had managed to avoid Kakashi enough to prevent the possibility of any sort of awkward conversation topic involving past events to arise. Although I realized that simply ignoring my best friend probably wasn't the most effective way of dealing with the situation, I just couldn't bring myself to confront the elephant in the room. I wanted to talk to him, and I really just wanted to pretend like nothing had ever happened, but whenever I was around him, that was nearly impossible. Whenever I saw that messy silver hair of his, I all I could think of was how flawlessly it fell over his face, his fascinating eyes gazing back at me from beneath his bangs. Whenever I saw that mask covering his face, I remembered how easy it was to slip it downward, exposing his soft pale skin and perfect lips. And when I imagined those lips of his, I found myself longing, once again, to feel them pressed against my own, to feel the shock waves of both nervousness and pleasure to shoot throughout my entire body.

I shook my head vigorously, ridding those thoughts from my mind. _Why do I keep thinking about it? And… why do I want to kiss him so badly?_

_Ugh, why did I have to fall in love with him?_

Sighing, I kicked a pebble on the ground as I passed through Konoha's gates. I shifted my eyes to the left and right, making sure that Kakashi wasn't anywhere in sight. He wasn't, sending a wave of relief over my entire body that nearly caused me to drop the cooler that I was carrying. Continuing down the road, I hastened my pace, wanting to reach the safety of my home as soon as I possibly could without drawing unwanted attention to myself.

I turned down a side street to avoid passing the bookstore, for I knew that I would only end up thinking about how adorable Kakashi looked with his nose buried in the pages of his Icha Icha novels. I couldn't risk remembering how his normally drooping right eye fixated intently on the contents of the pages, moving furiously from right to left as he took in every printed word. And I most _certainly _didn't want to recall the slight twitch of his nose when he was too engrossed in the story to flip the hair that tickled him out of his face.

"Shit," I cursed under my breath, realizing that I had done it once again, "What the hellis _wrong_ with me?"

Turning onto another road, I breathed a sigh of relief when my apartment was finally within eyesight. I weaved through the throng of civilians, trying not to bump into any of them but not actually caring when I did. I just wanted to reach my home before he could spot me. When I had finally arrived, I kicked the front door open victoriously and tossed the cooler to the floor, ignoring the loud crash that it produced when colliding with the hardwood. I had done it. I had successfully avoided awkwardness once again! Pushing the door shut behind me, I stepped out of my shoes and skipped up the steps toward my bedroom. I badly needed a shower and a change of clothes.

Opening the door to my room, however, revealed an all-too-familiar face that I was not yet prepared to meet.

_Kakashi._

My jaw dropped as I scrambled to come up with something to say to him. All I managed to think of was, "Hey."

"Hello, Kaeda."

His use of my full name made me cringe. _Is he mad at me?_

"W-What are you doing here?" I timidly asked, scratching the back of my neck nervously as I avoided eye contact with him.

"What's wrong?" He immediately asked, ignoring my inquiry.

My heart began pounding painfully within my chest. "What do you mean?" I pretended not to know what he meant, although I was almost certain that he could see right through my terrible act.

"You've been avoiding me," he said, "and I want to know why."

"I haven't been avoiding you."

"Yes, you have."

"No, I haven't."

"Kae, I'm not stupid."

"I didn't say you were."

Kakashi sighed, obviously annoyed by my responses. He surprised me by grasping my wrist and pulling me along with him as he approached my bed to take a seat. He forced me to occupy the spot beside him, and he even brought his hand to my chin, pulling my gaze to meet his. I could feel my cheeks beginning to burn. He was so close to me. Why did he have to be so close to me? And, damnit, why did his closeness have to make me so nervous?

"What's going on with you?" he asked in a softer voice this time, as if concerned for me rather than angry at me. His visible black eye stared back at me closely, begging me to provide him with a concrete answer this time. "Did I do something wrong?"

I sighed. "No, of course not," I responded in a voice just barely above a whisper.

"Then why haven't you said more than two words to me since the rescue mission?"

A pang of guilt attacked my already aching heart. I was so selfish. I was so concerned with avoiding the embarrassment of confrontation that didn't even _think _about how it could have affected Kakashi. I could tell that my actions had hurt him, and I hated myself for it. Its just that talking about my feelings had never been something that I particularly enjoyed, especially regarding the subject of _love, _something that I was completely oblivious about. I didn't even know how to _begin _talking about it without sounding completely ridiculous. Besides, even if I somehow managed to confess that I had fallen in love with Kakashi, there was always the chance that he didn't feel the same way, and I didn't want to risk the heartbreak that I knew would follow the realization of unreturned love. Most of all, I didn't want to risk ruining our friendship, for without Kakashi, I would be nothing. There was a lot more riding on the confession than I was prepared to handle. I figured that avoiding him would just make it all easier.

But when I really started to think about it, avoiding Kakashi wasn't actually solving any sort of problem at all. In fact, it was completely counterproductive. I was scared of losing Kakashi's friendship, but I wasn't being a friend to him at all within these past two weeks, and, in turn, I wasn't receiving any sort of friendship back from him. I had never thought about it before, and now, after realizing how foolish I was to think that I was doing the right thing, I felt both stupid and selfish.

"Kae?" Kakashi urged me once again to answer him, wrenching me from my thoughts.

I fidgeted with my fingers in my lap, trying desperately to think of the words to say. I decided that simply speaking honestly would be my best option, although I wasn't sure what exactly was going to end up coming out of my mouth. Inhaling deeply, I prepared myself for the worst. There was no turning back now. "I… I guess I was just scared."

"Scared?" Kakashi repeated, confused, "Why would you be scared to talk to me?"

"I thought it was going to be awkward… talking to you after," I couldn't bring myself to say it, so I simply shrugged and grumbled, "Well, you know."

"After what?" Kakashi asked, but he quickly came to a realization, "Oh… right."

My cheeks were getting hot, so I turned my face to hide my blush. This was what I was dreading. The awkward silence. I chewed nervously on my lip as my knees began to bounce. I tried telling myself that it was all going to be ok, that Kakashi was going to confess his love for me and I wouldn't have to worry about unreturned feelings any longer; however, I truly wasn't sure what the outcome was going to be, and that frightened me. I didn't want to lose Kakashi. I wished I never kissed him in the first place. We wouldn't have even been in this mess if I hadn't kissed him.

"I'm sorry," I finally whispered.

"For what?" Kakashi inquired.

I attempted to swallow the lump in my throat, but to no avail. Why did he have to ask so many questions? Why didn't he just _know, _so I wouldn't have to try to explain? My heart pounded so loudly that I wondered if Kakashi could hear it as clearly as I could. My palms were sweaty, my cheeks were burning bright red, and my breathing consisted of short, ragged breaths. In short, I was terrified for what I was about to say, but I forced the words out anyway. "I… shouldn't have kissed you."

There was a long pause. I wanted to look over at Kakashi, to see the expression on his face and determine his reaction, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. As curious as I was, the fear was too overpowering, leaving me frozen in place with my gaze fixed on my lap. I wondered if I had made a mistake, and I quickly found myself regretting my words.

Finally, Kakashi's voice, still soft and caring, broke the silence. "Why do you say that?"

"You're my best friend," I replied, "and… the kiss probably ruined that…"

Kakashi's hand found my chin once again as he forced my eyes to find his. "Is that really what this is about?" he asked seriously, "You think that the kiss ruined our friendship?"

"I don't know," I shrugged, "I just… I didn't know how you felt about it, and I guess I was preparing myself for the worst…"

"Kae," he whispered, placing his hand on my shoulder, "I'm going to ask you a question, and I want you to answer me honestly."

_Again, _with the questions. Why did he have to make this so difficult? Nerves jolted throughout my entire body, but I reluctantly agreed.

"How do you feel about me?"

His question hit me like a ton of bricks, knocking the wind right out of me. How was I possibly going to answer _that?_ Should I tell him the truth and risk rejection, or should I lie and risk disappointing him if he did actually share the same feelings for me that I had for him? It seemed like an impossible decision to make.

"Please, Kae," Kakashi pleaded, "please, just answer me."

Biting my lip and closing my eyes, I decided to just let my heart take over, trusting that the right words would find their way out into the world eventually. I threw all caution to the wind for a moment, and simply spoke. It was something that I hated doing, but it was the only thing that I could have done to provide the best answer without my emotions getting in the way. With a deep breath, I finally began, "No matter how much I fight with myself, I can't stop thinking about you," I cringed at the realization of what I had just said, but I kept going anyway, "Everything reminds me of you in some way or another. I get nervous when I'm around you, and I find myself analyzing every little thing that you do or say to me, as if it were some elaborate code to be cracked. It's been driving me insane for the past couple of weeks. I keep telling myself that I have no reason to act this way, but no matter what I do, you're always there. I'm terrified of it, but I can't fight it anymore because I'm in love with you, Kakashi."

Before I had even realized what I had said, it was already too late. It was out there.

As if on cue, my cheeks burned red, and I immediately hid my face in my hands. _Shit, shit, shit, _I thought frantically, _Why did I just say that?_

"Did you just say that you're in love with me?" Kakashi questioned, a hint of surprise in his voice.

I was humiliated, no, I was _horrified_. I simply nodded in response to his question, unable to force even the tiniest squeak of an answer past the giant lump in my throat. Bracing myself for what was to come, I tightly closed my eyes and waited.

A few seconds had passed when I felt my hands being pulled away from my face. I peeked my eyes open to see Kakashi's fingers intertwining with my own, and, confused, I glanced toward him to see a smile in his visible black eye. Before I could even comprehend what was happening, Kakashi's right hand found its way upward to tuck a strand of stray hair behind my ear before softly caressing my face. My heart was pounding. I still had no idea what was happening.

His left hand released its hold on mine in order to reach for the fabric of his mask. He slowly pulled the black fabric downward, exposing his smooth pale skin and his smiling lips. I was still frozen, my heart about ready to burst from my chest. When his mask had been completely removed, he used his right hand, which still cupped my face, to guide me closer and closer to him. Time was passing so slowly. Each second seemed like a minute. Although my mind was still reduced to mush, something deep within me realized what was about to happen, and I felt excitement and anxiety flow through my body like an electric current. As the gap between us gradually began to close, I let my eyelids fall close as well. My hands gripped the bed sheets as I braced myself for the sensation that I for so long denied desiring to feel once again.

But I didn't deny it this time.

Suddenly, our lips met, and like a power surge, the pleasure intensified tenfold as every nerve in my body activated in response to the connection. I couldn't stop my hands from immediately tangling in his hair and gently pulling him closer to me. For so long, I had told myself that this was wrong, that nothing good could come out of kissing my best friend, but in this moment, it felt so right. I didn't care that I had spent the last two weeks trying to convince myself that my feelings for him were irrational. I threw all those thoughts aside in this one moment of pure bliss, and, for the first time in a long while, I felt truly at peace with myself.

Placing his hands against the small of my back, Kakashi gently lowered me back onto the bed, careful not to break the kiss. He then snaked his arms out from underneath me so he could rest his elbows on either side of my head for support. When he was satisfied with the new position, he deepened the kiss by running his tongue along my bottom lip. I immediately obliged and parted my lips, meeting his tongue in the middle. Slipping my hands underneath his Jonin vest, my fingers traced up and down his back, feeling his firm muscles underneath his shirt. When his tongue massaged against my own in just the right way, I subconsciously gripped the fabric of his shirt as shock waves of pleasure coursed through my veins. Everything that he was doing felt so incredibly amazing. I only hoped that I was making him feel _half _as good as he was making me feel.

Kakashi broke the kiss to place light kisses up my jaw line until he reached my earlobe. He gently grazed his teeth against the skin, causing my grip on his shirt to tighten as I inhaled sharply. He moved downward to continue placing kisses on my neck, but this time they were harder, more fervent. His tongue circled the sensitive area. I had to bite my lip to keep myself from sighing in pleasure. My hands found their way back into his messy hair, but before they tangled in his silver locks, I untied his headband and threw it to the ground. Sighing as if to say, "Thank you," Kakashi continued caressing my neck with his lips, and I eagerly pulled him as close to me as possible, craving him.

When he finally pulled his lips away from my neck, I accidentally let out a tiny groan. My eyes shot open once I had realized what I had done, and I immediately noticed the smirk plastered on Kakashi's face. I blushed, but before I could say anything to him, Kakashi captured my lips in another electrifying kiss that left me breathless. Unable to focus on anything other than the current sensations that were driving my body completely crazy, I forgot about my slip up and let my eyes close once again. Our lips parted simultaneously, our tongues immediately resuming the battle that had been previously interrupted. As time passed, I found it increasingly difficult to contain myself. I let out a tiny moan when Kakashi's hand pressed against the back of my neck and pulled me into him, and I could immediately feel the smile on his lips as he continued kissing me. I was feeling too overwhelmed by pleasure to even worry about it, though. All I could focus on was how incredible Kakashi's body felt pressed against me, and how perfectly his lips fit against mine.

Finally, after becoming so engrossed in each other that we had nearly forgotten to breathe, Kakashi slowly pulled away from me. Although I was gasping for air and on the verge of passing out, I quickly decided that breathing wasn't worth having to stop kissing him. I let my eyelids open, and I couldn't help but allow my lips to stretch into a goofy, lopsided grin when I saw him. I must have looked like an idiot, but I just couldn't fight it. Kakashi rolled off of me until he was lying beside me. His hands quickly found mine, and our fingers instantly intertwined. Gazing back at me with mismatched eyes, he pressed a gentle kiss on my cheek before resting his forehead against mine.

"Kae," Kakashi finally whispered after his breathing had slowed.

"Hmm?" I simply replied, in such a state of bliss that forming actual words proved to be quite the challenge.

"I've been wanting to do that since we were teenagers."

His words shocked me. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped, breath catching in my throat. _What did he just say?_

"I'll never forget the moment I realized it," he continued, stroking the backs of my hands with the pads of his thumbs, "I had just returned from my first Jonin mission. I had been gone for over a month, and the situations that I had to face on the road had toughened me to the core. But when I finally saw you after all that time… It was so hard to be strong. I was so happy; I had missed you so much. I could barely keep myself from crying when we hugged. I realized in that moment that the hardest part about the mission was being away from you for so long. I've been in love with you since that day, Kae."

"Really?" was all I managed to say.

Kakashi smiled and pecked me on the lips. "Really."

I was so overwhelmed with happiness that I threw my arms around Kakashi's neck and pulled him in for a close embrace. His strong arms wrapped around my waist, holding me tightly and securely against his chest. I buried my face in his neck, kissing him softly yet eagerly while breathing in his familiar musky scent. I couldn't keep the smile from forming on my lips. After all this time spent obsessing over my own feelings, in the end, it turned out that Kakashi felt the same way. This talk turned out much differently than I had expected, but that was perfectly fine with me.

Kakashi pulled away to look into my eyes. "I love you, Kae," he said.

I placed a quick kiss to his lips. "I love you too, Kakashi."

And for the first time, I felt completely happy admitting it.

* * *

Author's Note (Again): Yay for KakashixKaeda fluff! It's about time, right? Jeez, even I was getting impatient, and I'm the writer! XD  
I hope the fluff lived up to expectations. But never fear, there's much more to come with the next (and final) chapter!  
Review and let me know how I did? That would be fantastic of you. :)


	25. TwentyFive: New Beginnings

Author's Note: Oh my goodness, you guys. I can't believe this is actually the last chapter.  
On one hand, I'm kind of excited, because that means I have two completed stories under my belt. But on the other hand, I'm kind of sad to see this story end. :(  
Either way, I hope you all enjoy the final installment of _Until the End! _It's another long one, for you. :D  
Thanks to MikaUchiha666, nerdmafia101, NyxNightmare, ObeseOrange, Echo Uchiha, FallenBleedingAngel, invisible-gurl, Pinaychik13, and xYuzuki13x for the amazing reviews! And thanks to everyone for helping me get over 100 reviews on this story! (Thanks NyxNightmare for the extra congrats on that XD ) You guys are amazing. No joke. :D  
Anyway, I really, really, _really _hope you all enjoy the final chapter!  
Reviews would be amazing, as always. Let me know how I did!

Oh, and this chapter contains... well... _suggestions, _I suppose. Nothing M-rated actually occurs in writing, but... well, you'll understand what I mean when you read the chapter. :P

My next story is most likely going to be a GaaraxOC story, since I have a lot of it already planned out. Give me a month or two to write a few chapters and work out the kinks, but be on the lookout if you're interested in reading a GaaraxOC! I also have a SasukexOC story kind of planned out as well... woot! :D

**Twenty-Five: New Beginnings**

I could feel the tight bulges of his firm muscles as Kakashi's body pressed against mine. His lips slowly grazed across the skin of my neck, and his fingers gently caressed my curves as he slowly ran them down my body before resting at my hips. I tilted my head to the left, so as to urge him to continue, but he did not. He simply continued to tease me with soft kisses on my neck and jaw. I wanted to groan into his ear, to let him know that I wanted more, but when I opened my mouth, no sound emerged. I wanted to tangle my fingers in his messy silver hair and pull him closer, but my arms would not yield to my commands. Instead, my body lay frozen underneath Kakashi's as the gentle touch of his lips and hands electrified every nerve in my body. Though it was frustrating, I had to admit that every little thing he did still felt incredible.

And then, suddenly, there was darkness.

The sounds of chirping birds gradually became audible as the feeling of the sun's rays warmed my face. My eyelids were heavy with sleep, and when I tried opening them, I could feel a thin layer of crust pulling at the corners, preventing them from moving. I stretched my legs and arched my back, sighing in response to the array of snaps and pops that soon accompanied my muscles' relief.

_It was just a dream…_

When I managed to open my eyes, however, I realized that my dream had been a lot closer to reality than I suspected, for Kakashi's upper body rested against mine with his head propped in his hands so he could gaze into my eyes with his own mismatched ones. His face was mere inches away from mine, and his lips contorted into a lopsided smirk that I immediately found to be quite sexy on him. "Good morning," he said in a voice that was still raspy from sleep.

I lifted my right hand to push his bangs out of his eyes. "Morning," I sighed, smiling. I had almost forgotten that Kakashi had spent the night, which was odd, seeing as he stayed over more often than not since we had finally crossed the line separating friends and lovers.

He dipped his head to place soft kisses on my forehead, the tip of my nose, and then my lips. He lingered there for a moment before pulling away to smile and intertwine his fingers with mine. "How did you sleep?" he asked, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.

I let my other hand run through his spiky hair, and then I continued downward to trace the contours of the perfectly toned muscles of his bare back with my fingertips. His skin was so warm and inviting that I pulled him into me for a close embrace, loving the way that his body felt against mine. "Amazing," I mumbled, sleep already beginning to pull at my consciousness once again, "You?"

"I slept well," he answered, his head buried in the crook of my neck. He then lifted his head to continue looking at me as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, "But I enjoyed waking up to you even more."

I smiled at him. "You're so cheesy," I teased, planting a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Way to ruin the mood," he pouted.

I tilted my head to the side to look at the clock on my bedside table. The pattern of neon lights read 7:45 AM. I decided that it was time to get up, since today was a very important day not just to me, but the entirety of Konoha as well as its allied nations. It was the day of the final stage of the Chunin Exam, the day that I got to watch all three of my students fight to prove that they deserved to be promoted to Chunin.

It had been one month and five days since the first stage of the Chunin Exam had taken place. All of my students managed to pass the written test easily, though I had been a bit worried about Nikko's ability to formally answer detailed essay questions and work out complex equations. I figured that he must have found a way to cheat without being caught, but that was fine with me, considering there were no rules out in the real Shinobi world.

The second stage was the one that I was the most concerned with, since my students had never actually gone on a mission alone, without me, their sensei. They surprised me, however, by finishing with more than a day's worth of time remaining. I had received the honor of being summoned by the combined Heaven and Earth scrolls to inform them of their advancement to the third stage, and I could still clearly remember how beaten up they had looked when I arrived. They were covered in dirt as well as bruises and bloodstains, and their clothes had been ripped and tattered from the constant wear of battles and mere survival. The dark circles around their eyes told me that they had not slept much, if at all, during their entire four-day stay inside the arena. The moment I told them that they had passed the second stage, their bodies fell limp to the ground, finally able to relax for the first time since the start of the exam.

Luckily for them, there was no need for a preliminary round to the third stage, since not many groups of Genin managed to finish the second stage. I was sure that they would have been fine, seeing as they had a whole day to regain their strength and build up their chakra, but I could tell that they were relieved when they were informed of the exam's month-long hiatus. It was bittersweet for me, however, because although skipping the preliminary round meant I had more time to train my Genin, it also meant that I could not witness the other competitors' fighting styles to get an idea as to what Hana, Nikko, and Toshiro were up against. Despite that fact, I worked hard to prepare them for the final tournament. I helped Toshiro sharpen his Kiseigan as well as his speed and reaction times. I worked with Hana on both taijutsu and genjutsu, and I even helped her develop her own special illusions. Nikko received intense chakra control training, and together we developed a jutsu all his own. Though I was somewhat anxious about the tournament, I was confident that they would do well.

I tightened my abdominals in order to lift myself up, but Kakashi stopped me by kissing down my jaw line and continuing down to my collarbone. "Kakashi," I sighed, pushing lightly against his shoulders. I meant for it to sound like a protest, but instead it sounded more like a plea.

"I don't want you to leave," he said in between kisses.

"The Tournament is going to start soon," I told him, subconsciously gripping his strong shoulders when he lightly nibbled my sensitive skin.

"I'm not going," he replied.

He moved away from my collarbone to continue pressing his lips to my chest and began working his way downward, but I quickly gripped his hair in my hands to prevent him from doing so. "My students are competing," I reminded him, "so I have to go support them."

Rolling out from underneath him, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and slid off, ignoring Kakashi's disappointed groan. I walked to my closet to find something nice yet casual to wear, eventually settling on a taupe-colored sleeveless kimono-style shirt with a contrasting burgundy obi and dark blue-gray capris. Grasping the items in my hands, I turned on my heel to head to the bathroom for a quick shower.

"Can I come?"

I tilted my head to see Kakashi's playful smirk accompanying a devious expression, his shirtless body now free from the blankets that had previously covered him. I immediately found myself distracted by his firm chest, his perfectly defined abs, and his muscular arms, which the morning light seemed to complement flawlessly by emphasizing the contours with dark shadows and bright highlights. We had been together for two months, and I was still completely mesmerized by every bit of him.

Blinking a few times and clearing my throat, I pulled myself out of my momentary stupor in order to reply, "No, you can't come."

"C'mon," he grinned, "It's not like I haven't seen it all before."

A dark blush instantly found its way to my cheeks as I quickly turned to hide it from him. "You and I both know that if you come with me, a whole lot more than showering is going to take place." I did my best to hide my embarrassment as I spoke.

Unlike myself, Kakashi, being addicted to those pervy novels of his, was not easily embarrassed by anything, let alone the topic of sexuality. He did, however, get a kick out of _my_ embarrassment, and thoroughly enjoyed teasing me about it. Advancing closer to me, he placed his hands on my hips and slowly pulled me into him. His lips grazed my earlobe as he growled, "What's wrong with that?"

Before I had a chance to respond, Kakashi captured my lips in a deep kiss that immediately left my mind blank. He traced his fingertips up and down along the length of my back, sending tingles down my spine that continued to pulse throughout every nerve in my body. I couldn't keep my hands from wrapping around his neck, not only because I wanted to be closer to him, but also because I was sure that after a few moments of this my knees would buckle underneath me. Our lips parted in unison, and our tongues immediately met in the middle, his massaging slowly against mine in such a way that caused me to inhale sharply and tangle my fingers in his hair.

Kakashi carefully walked me backward until he had positioned me against a wall. He then pressed his body against my own, wrapped his arms through the space in between the curve of my lower back and the wall, and kissed me harder and with more passion. As I was engulfed in a state of complete bliss, I slowly felt myself forgetting all the reasons I had originally had to deny Kakashi's advances. My heart raced and my cheeks flushed as I clung to him and delved deeper into his mouth with my tongue. I felt him smirking against my lips. He thought he had won.

When I realized that he had been manipulating me, I broke away from the kiss and glared back at him. My lips parted as I frantically searched for the words to reprimand him for using his perfect lips against me to change my mind, but there was still a small flame of desire burning deep within me. I was conflicted. I wanted him to continue, naturally, but I didn't want him to know that he had overpowered me so easily. After all, I had always been stubborn. I couldn't just give into him without a fight… but he felt so _good. _Was protecting my pride worth giving up the bursts of pleasure that followed every kiss and every touch?

I finally sighed, relaxing my tensed body and rolling my eyes. "Oh, screw it," I mumbled before immediately pulling Kakashi's lips to mine and leading him into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.

* * *

Despite our little _roadblock _this morning, Kakashi and I had made it to the arena just in time for the final competition. The stands were filled with spectators from Konoha, Suna, and Amegakure, and the Kage from each village, each dressed in their traditional robes, sat in their own section at the top to watch over everything. There were twelve competitors fighting in the tournament: six from Konoha, three from Suna, and three from Ame.

Toshiro and his opponent, a boy named Kuro from Sunagakure, were the first to battle. Though Kuro was very skilled in wind chakra manipulation as well as taijutsu, Toshiro's agility allowed him to easily dodge the boy's attacks and slip into an offensive position to land attacks on his chakra points. Kuro, unaware of Toshiro's unique technique, continued performing his jutsu, causing his chakra to leak out of his body at dangerous speeds. Within minutes, the boy had collapsed, unable to move due to lack of chakra. He was immediately rushed to the infirmary while Toshiro was declared the winner. The first battle went just as I had expected.

Hana's battle was soon after Toshiro's. Her opponent was a Leaf Village native, a boy named Soutaro, who was a member of Konoha's Aburame clan. I guessed that, much like the rest of the insect tamers, Soutaro was quite strong though he did not outwardly show it. I knew that this would be a tough battle for Hana, but I remained confident in her. The moment the proctor had started the battle, I could see that Hana had already captured Soutaro in her genjutsu. It was a smart move on her part, to do so while he least expected it. The boy sent an array of insects from the sleeves of his jacket, which all swarmed toward Hana with the intent to poison her. Her taijutsu skills had improved tremendously, however, and she was able to maneuver between small openings between the bugs and make her way toward her opponent. While on the move, she created a clone and slipped off into hiding, making sure that Soutaro couldn't see her behind his massive wall of insects. Once she had taken refuge, she whipped an assortment of kunai and shuriken in his direction. At this point, her genjutsu began taking effect. While the Hana and the rest of the spectators in the arena saw weaponry flying toward Soutaro, the boy saw something much different. He visualized his own insects flying toward him, causing him to lower his guard, expecting them not to attack. When the sharp pain of the blades slicing into his skin had set in, however, the boy cried out and dropped to his knees. At this point, Hana made her way out of hiding to attack the boy while making sure to watch out for his bugs. The proctor was forced to stop the fight, declaring Hana the winner of the match.

Nikko and his opponent, a girl named Ai from Amegakure, were the last pair to fight. Nikko had expressed many times during the last month of training how disappointed he was to have been matched up with a girl, but I told him to never underestimate his opponents, especially based on something as ridiculous as gender. Nikko seemed to be taking my advice, for he looked determined and focused out on the battlefield. The battle began and the Ame girl immediately began using water-manipulation techniques. She was relentless, leaving little to no opening between her attacks for Nikko to get anywhere near her. He did not give up, however, and continued dodging and weaving through her attacks until finally a strategy brewed in his mind. He formed a few quick hand seals before charging his chakra into the tips of his fingers. He then unleashed his jutsu, sending bolts of lighting from each fingertip toward Ai's water attacks. The electrical discharge, being naturally strong against water, traveled easily against the current of Ai's water attacks until it reached her in a matter of milliseconds. Nikko, having large amounts of chakra, was able to immobilize Ai with just one attack, and before Nikko could land a finishing technique, the proctor stopped the match, meaning Nikko had won.

The next brackets were revealed soon after Nikko's battle. Toshiro had been chosen to fight another Konoha native, a girl named Emi; Hana was pitted against a boy named Taro from Suna, and Nikko was set to fight the remaining Suna challenger, a boy named Yori. Toshiro, again, won his battle with ease, but Hana and Nikko were not so lucky. The Suna contenders proved to be slightly stronger than my Genin, overpowering their jutsu with their excellent chakra control and strategic skills. Though they had lost, I was still extremely proud of them, for even when it seemed like they had no chance at winning, they still did not give up, and they, instead, fought long and hard before the proctor finally decided to stop their matches. They had done everything they could, and that was all I could have asked for. I remained positive. After all, they still had a good shot at being promoted to Chunin despite their defeat, considering the fact that promotion is based primarily on aptitude rather than the number of wins.

After two more rounds, Toshiro had been declared the tournament champion, defeating the remainder of his opponents with increasing difficulty. By the end, he was so exhausted that he had to be escorted off of the battlefield in a stretcher carried by a couple of medical ninja. I could hardly believe it. _My _student had won the tournament. There was no doubt in my mind at this point that Toshiro would be promoted to the rank of Chunin. He had obvious skills in chakra control, since he was able to use his Kiseigan throughout the entire tournament without becoming too fatigued to fight, not to mention his use of high-level jutsu, his ability to strategize on the spot, and, finally, raw talent. I only wished that I could attribute his genius to my tutelage over these last few months, but I knew that the boy was simply born destined to be an incredible ninja. He was the pride of the Isami clan, and now the pride of Konoha.

The proctor left the battlefield to deliberate with a council of judges consisting of the proctors from the first and second stages of the Chunin Exam, the Kages from each village, and their respective advisors. People in the stands began betting on which students would pass and which would fail. Toshiro, of course, was everyone's top choice, but there were conflicting views on my remaining two students. I didn't listen to their arguments, however, for I was already sure that they would pass. At this point, it wasn't that I was simply trying to remain positive; I really did believe that they possessed the skills required to advance to Chunin level.

"Your students did well," Kakashi said from beside me, breaking me away from my thoughts. He gave my hand a gentle squeeze, reassuring me of what I already believed to be true.

"Yeah," I smiled, "They did."

My knee bounced with impatience as I waited for the proctor to return and announce the newest Chunin. Seconds passed like minutes, and minutes like hours. I had been to many tournaments in the past, but none had ever lasted as long as this one. I wondered if anyone else was feeling as anxious as I did, but I quickly determined that I only felt this way because my students were currently on the chopping block. Still, if I was so confident in them, then why did I have to be so nervous? It didn't make any sense to me.

Finally, the proctor returned to the middle of the arena, and immediately the spectators stopped whatever they were doing to listen to what he had to say. "Ladies and Gentleman," said the man after clearing his throat, "It is my honor to introduce to you the newest Chunin."

My knuckles turned white as I gripped Kakashi's hand tightly in my own sweaty ones. My heart was racing inside my chest, pounding so hard against my inner walls that I could barely hear anything over its loud throbbing. I gulped down the lump in my throat as I waited for him to continue.

"From Amegakure," he gestured toward one of the Ame Genin, "Usagi Mori!"

The spectators applauded as the young girl bowed graciously, unable to hide her growing smile. Her teammates congratulated her with pats on the back and high fives, hiding their disappointment well behind happy exteriors.

"From Sunagakure," the proctor continued when the applause had died down, "Taro Yamashida, Yori Nakano, and Kuro Hayashi!"

The entire team of Suna Genin bowed to the audience, who, of course, began clapping and cheering for the group of young boys. Unable to hide their excitement, however, they soon began jumping up and down and joining together in a group embrace. I smiled. It was nice to see an entire team promoted to Chunin together.

"And finally, from Konohagakure," the proctor announced, at which point my heart felt like it was about ready to burst out of my chest, "Toshiro Isami, Hana Sugimoto, and Nikko Takeda!"

I jumped out of my seat and shouted my congratulations, clapping my hands together so quickly and sloppily that I must have looked like a fool. But I didn't care. I was so incredibly happy to hear that my Genin had all been promoted that I couldn't control myself. Kakashi joined me in standing, but managed to maintain his composure as he clapped like an actual civilized human being, rather than some sort of excited seal.

"Congratulations," Kakashi said to me, a smile evident in his visible black eye, though his face had been covered by his usual black mask and headband, "You're officially a better sensei than I am."

I shook my head at him. "Just because all three of my students passed on their first try, that doesn't necessarily mean…" my voice trailed off as I thought about what I was about to say. High on my own excitement, however, I couldn't keep myself from blurting out, "Ok, you're right, I'm _amazing!_"

Kakashi laughed, placed a quick kiss on my forehead, and wrapped his arm around my waist. "Ready to go congratulate your students?"

With a permanent smile on my lips, I replied, "Definitely."

* * *

"I wasn't sure it was going to work at first," Nikko hurriedly explained in between bites of steamy barbeque pork, "But I decided to just go for it anyway, and two seconds later I had beaten her! It was awesome!" His lips, covered in sticky barbeque sauce, pulled at the corners to form a wide grin that stretched from ear to ear.

I decided to honor my students' achievements by treating them to an all-you-can-eat dinner at Konoha's famous barbeque restaurant. Kakashi decided to stay behind, giving me time alone to bond with my students, Konoha's newest Chunin. Their smiles had not left their faces even for a second, and I couldn't blame them. They had done exceptional today, and they deserved to be this excited. "You did very well," I complimented Nikko with a stifled laugh as I used my chopsticks to grab a piece of meat from the center grill and set it on my plate. "And you, Hana," I continued, averting the attention to the normally timid girl, "Your genjutsu worked perfectly against Soutaro."

"Thanks," she blushed, "I was worried that I wouldn't be able to reach him to finish the fight before he realized it was genjutsu and broke it, but I did it."

I smiled at the girl, but I quickly switched my focus to both Hana and Nikko before I offered my advice. "You two need to remember to always be confident in yourselves. You know now that you are strong, capable shinobi, so you have no reason to doubt your abilities."

The two nodded before digging into their dinner. "What about you, Toshiro?" I said to the white-haired boy, who instantly found my eyes with his, "Was there ever a moment that you second-guessed yourself?"

The boy shrugged. "Only in the final match, when I fought the girl from Amegakure. I could feel that my chakra was getting depleted, and I was already starting to feel the effects of absorbing too much foreign chakra. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to continue using my Kiseigan without collapsing. Luckily for me, she was also completely exhausted. I simply managed to fight the pain longer than she could."

"Now you know that you can keep going through intense pain if you believe that you can," I told him, "You three should always remember this experience when you think that you can't go on any longer. You should always remember how you pushed yourselves past your limits, and, in the end, you were victorious for doing so. Use this experience to push yourselves further in your training and your advancement to higher ranks, and I know you will succeed."

"Of course I'll always remember this!" Nikko replied, his mouth still full of barbeque, "but we'll still have you to help when it comes to pushing us past our limits in our training!"

Sighing, I realized that I had to break the news to them. Passing the Chunin exam was great for my students, of course, but advancing higher in the ranks was bittersweet for me, as their sensei. "Not exactly," I said to Nikko.

The three shinobi surrounding me gave me confused looks as they finished their last bites of food. "What do you mean?" They asked in unison.

"You're Chunin now," I explained, "Which means that I'm no longer your Sensei. I am merely your comrade as of now, meaning that you can train without me and even get sent on missions without me. It's not my responsibility to watch out for you anymore, since becoming Chunin implies that you have the necessary skills to survive on your own, without being accompanied by an instructor. This also means that you no longer have to call me Kaeda Sensei. You may call me Kaeda, instead."

My former students gazed back at me with bewilderment in their eyes. I could see the gears turning in their heads, as if they were still trying to process what exactly I had said. I almost wanted to believe that I detected a slight hint of sadness in their faces, but I wasn't completely certain of it. Of course, I was feeling a bit gloomy about the fact that I was no longer their Sensei, but I didn't, by any means, want them to feel that way after their incredible achievements. Nikko, who had finally finished chewing the enormous bite of pork that he had stuffed in his mouth minutes before, gulped down his food and finally said in a hushed voice, "Not our Sensei anymore, huh…"

"I didn't know that being promoted meant losing you as our instructor," Toshiro admitted.

"Yeah," Hana spoke up after dabbing the corners of her mouth with a napkin, "It's going to be strange not having you there to train us anymore."

"Don't worry about it so much," I told them, forcing a smile to reassure them, "You're all such talented shinobi, and I know that you are completely capable of achieving greatness without me walking with you every step of the way. And besides," I continued after noticing that their gazes had fallen into their laps, "just because I'm not your Sensei anymore, that doesn't mean that I won't help you out anytime you have a question or need some advice."

After a moment of silence, Nikko turned to his two teammates and said, "Well, I don't know about you guys," he then turned to me, his eyes now glistening with determination, "but I'm still going to have you train with me, Kaeda Sensei. I've learned too much from you to just stop now and try figuring everything out on my own. Besides, it feels too weird to say _Kaeda _without the _Sensei._"

Hana and Toshiro laughed in agreement, and I joined them, acknowledging that it would have been somewhat strange having my former students referring to me by my first name only, especially since they had _always _called me Kaeda Sensei since the day that I met them. I had to admit that I was actually relieved that Nikko had said he wanted me to continue training him, because, though I never would have said it myself, I was going to miss the three of them. I had spent nearly every day with them for months, and in that time I had grown somewhat attached to them. Through tough missions, laid-back hangouts, and everything in between, I had formed special bonds with each of them. They were, in a sense, my _family_, and, though I would have pushed all emotion aside to do it, I didn't want to say goodbye to them.

Nikko slammed his hands on the table, lifted himself into a standing position, and then leaned across the table to situate his face mere inches from my own. His big, goofy grin had found its way back onto his lips, and his brown eyes had regained the sparkle that they had held minutes before as he stared into my own. "What do you say," he asked, his voice so loud that I nearly flinched in surprise, "Will you continue being our sensei?"

Hana and Toshiro were also smiling in my direction, as if urging me to agree. I didn't even have to think about it. I smiled at them before answering, "I would be honored to be your sensei."

* * *

When I had finally returned to my apartment for the night, I found Kakashi already snuggled into my bed, reading one of his Icha Icha books, his mask and headband already discarded into a pile on the floor. I laughed at the sight—he looked just like a little kid all tucked into bed while reading himself a bedtime story. He turned his head to face me as I walked into the room, offering a kind smile in my direction. "How did it go?" He asked, closing his book and setting it on the bedside table.

"It was great," I answered as I wasted no time in changing into something more comfortable, not even bothering to steal into the bathroom at this point, "They asked me to continue training them."

"Uh huh," Kakashi mumbled, "Have I told you that you have a really nice ass?"

_I should have known._

Gasping at his little comment, I threw my dirty clothes into Kakashi's face to distract him before immediately pouncing on top of him and pinning his arms down at his sides. I could already feel my cheeks beginning to burn. Kakashi quickly burst into hysterics, enjoying my embarrassment much more than I would have liked. I removed my clothes from his face to glare into his mismatched eyes. "You weren't even listening to me, you little perv!"

"Oh, relax," Kakashi struggled to speak through his laughter, "It was a compliment!"

"No more reading Icha Icha books before bed," I told him.

"Aw," Kakashi pouted, "but you know how much I like reading them!"

"They make you even more perverted than you already are," I argued.

After a moment, a confident smirk made its way onto Kakashi's lips, stretching across his face in a sort of sinister fashion that told me that he was up to something. Before I could inquire about his motives, however, Kakashi shut me up by lifting his head to capture my lips in an electrifying kiss. I tried for a moment to resist, but the feeling of his lips against mine felt too incredible to deny. I let myself relax into him, resting my weight against his body as I released my grip on his wrists to gently tangle in his silvery hair.

Once Kakashi had felt me give in, he skillfully flipped me over so that he was now in the dominant position, using his left arm to support his weight while his right hand caressed the back of my neck. He gently nibbled on my bottom lip, and I immediately responded by parting my lips to search for his tongue with my own. When our tongues met and tangled together, I sighed into Kakashi's mouth as my nerves began firing signals of pleasure to every inch of my body. Kakashi increased the pressure with which his hand held my neck, pulling me into him with a hint of urgency.

He then separated his lips from mine, and I immediately groaned in frustration, earning me a satisfied smirk from Kakashi. He then began slowly, yet passionately kissing and flicking his tongue up my jaw and then pausing at my neck. I gripped at his shirtless back with my fingers, nearly scratching his skin as a burst of shivers shot down my spine and continued to the tips of my fingers and my toes. Biting my bottom lip, I fought back the urge to whimper as every little touch made my heart beat faster and sent my mind into a frenzy. That urge became a bit too strong for me to stifle, however, when Kakashi gently bit my earlobe and breathed his hot breath against my very responsive skin. I allowed a tiny cry escape my lips, and I could immediately feel Kakashi's smirk growing against my neck.

"Alright," I breathed, tangling my hands into Kakashi's hair as he continued kissing and nibbling my neck, "You can read Icha Icha before bed."

Kakashi pulled away to face me, exposing his devilish grin and gleaming black and red eyes. "That's what I thought," was all he said before dipping down to capture my lips once again.


End file.
